The Battalion- June 11, 2019

TUESDAY, JUNE 11 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA

SALUTING A LEGACY

James Stewart — The Brady Standard-Herald

LIFE&ARTS

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The Battalion | 6.11.19

Abigail Ochoa, Editor-in-Chief Brian Bass, Sports Editor Camryn Lang, Life & Arts Editor Khadeeja Umana, Life & Arts Editor

Meredith Seaver, Photo Chief Brady Stone, Page Designer Sydney Clark, Page Designer

THE BATTALION is published once every other week during the summer (except

University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center.

News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com.

Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising call 979-845-2687. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569.

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email: battads@thebatt.com.

Subscriptions: A part of the University Advancement Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1.

PROVIDED

Josh Sozio — THE BATTALION

Former NASA flight director Gerry Griffin, Class of 1956, celebrates after the Apollo 13 splashdown. His Aggie ring travelled to space and the moon on the Apollo 12 and is currently displayed in the Zachry Engineering Education Complex.

The Aggie Ring that touched the stars Aggie ring travels on Apollo 12, returns to inspire Aggieland

By Camryn Lang @CamrynLang Aggie rings often travel around the world through the careers and adventures of Aggies everywhere. Former NASA flight director, Gerry Griffin’s Aggie ring took an unexpected route when it traveled to the moon and back on Apollo 12, reaching the farthest distance from Aggieland ever recorded for an Aggie ring.

The opening of the Zachry Engineering Education Complex in fall 2018 created a sanctuary for future engineers and it also gave a home to incredible pieces of Texas A&M history.

Near the east entrance of Zachry, Griffin, Class of 1956, has his Aggie ring displayed as the ring that traveled to the moon. Griffin oversaw the launch of Apollo 12 on Nov. 14, 1969 and watched diligently as astronaut Richard Gordon launched into space with a few special items from Griffin’s family.

Gordon carried Griffin’s Aggie ring, his wife, Sandy Griffin, brooch, his son, and Class of 1981, Kirk’s Cub Scout

ring and his daughter Gwen, Brownie locket tucked into each other and held with a small piece of tape that was precisely placed in Gordon’s Personal Preference Kit — a storage unit that astronauts to bring items for their mission.

After retrieving the ring from Gordon, Griffin wore the ring well into the 1970s and realized later in his career that his ring was something to protect.

“I went over to the crew building, where the astronauts hung out,” Griffin said. “They had it all laid out and mine was right there so I picked it up, un-taped it, and I just put it back on.

There’s actually a picture of me [during] Apollo 13, when they splashed down.

My hand is up in the air with a Gig’em sign. You can see my ring, it’s on my hand. Not too long after that I decided that maybe I shouldn’t be wearing this thing. It is kind of special.”

The items Gordon took to space were then miraculously spared from a home burglary at Griffin’s several years later. Although his wife’s brooch was stolen according to Griffin. It was decades later when Griffin began to search for a more permanent and safer home for his Aggie ring. He decided to contact A&M President Michael K. Young to find the best place for his ring.

“One of the calls he [Young] made was to Kathy Banks who I think immediately leaped on it for the new engineering building,” Griffin said. “She and I talked and I said ‘sure, that sounds good to me. I just want to make sure the school gets it. ’” Senior Assistant Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communication for Engineering, Marilyn Martell said that she worked closely with Griffin to display the ring in a way that would showcase its historical importance.

“I got to work directly with Mr. Griffin on the legal back-end of it,” Martell said. “He has generously loaned this to us to be on display indefinitely, so I worked with him to ensure that his wishes were fulfilled.”

Martell said that the display was crafted to remind Aggies of their limitless possibilities.

“We have this thing, ‘Where will your Aggie Ring Take You?’” Martell said. “That was really important to connect the fact that this ring has been further than anyone’s Aggie ring has ever been. Mr Griffin was extremely passionate about wanting this display to encourage future students to push themselves to see where their Aggie ring will take them.”

LIFE&ARTS

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The Battalion | 6.11.19

Check Ring Eligibility: By June 13 Order Deadline: June 14 Aggie Ring Day: September 27

LAST CALL HOW TO GET YOUR AGGIE RING ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2019: Texas State Library and Archives

Juneteenth is the celebration of the abolition of slavery in the state of Texas in 1865. Festivities include the Brazos Valley Juneteenth Parade and Blues Festival in Bryan on June 15.

‘A celebration of freedom’ Parade and Blues Festival to kick-off Juneteenth in B-CS

By Brady Stone @bradystonex With Juneteenth quickly approaching on June 19, the Bryan-College Station area is hosting The Juneteenth Parade and Blues Festival to honor the holiday that commemorates the 1865 abolition of slavery in Texas.

The parade and festival will kick off on June 15 at 10 a.m. at Kemp-Carver Elementary School in Bryan and end at Sadie Thomas Park at 12 p.m. The theme of this event is “Looking Back to Move Forward,” and everyone is invited to celebrate.

“This holiday gives everyone in the community an opportunity to be aware of and celebrate the rich diversity of our community,” Brazos County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace, and Brazos Valley African American Museum board member Celina Vasquez said. “To me, Juneteenth is about celebrating our history, and the contributions of great African Americans.”

Vasquez, a former government teacher at Blinn College, said although the Emancipation Proclamation — President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation that freed slaves — was issued in 1863, the news did not reach Texas until 1865.

“This is not an African American only holiday, it is a holiday for all Texans and all Americans because it is important that we all know our history,” Vasquez said.

Historically, parades have symbolized celebration for thousands of years.

One of the more well known parades in the United States’ history, the Grand Review of the Armies celebrated the end of the Civil War, but to some, parades symbolize more.

“The parade as a sign for the celebration is important for any community of people, but especially the black community,” communications sophomore Essence Williams said. “As a community who was persecuted for simply existing, parades represent a celebration of freedom.”

However, for many, Juneteenth didn’t truly encompass freedom until much later when trailblazers like Rosa

Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advanced civil rights for African Americans. To some, it is especially important to remember the emancipation of the African American community.

“I believe that it is very important that we are reminded of these trailblazers,” business senior and Texas A&M NAACP president Toriah Taylor said.

“But honestly, this is Freedom Day, which is what we should be celebrating, not anyone in particular but our once enslaved ancestors as a whole.”

While Juneteenth is a celebration of the abolition of slavery, Taylor said this holiday would not be possible without the activism of the Civil Rights era.

“It makes me feel hopeful, that the country and people of every race and ethnicity within it, hear us,” Taylor said. “It’s a breath of fresh air and a relief to know that people like MLK and Rosa Parks set the tone and broke the barrier so that we can march for things like this.”

For more information on the Juneteenth Parade and Blues Festival, visit Brazos Valley Juneteenth Celebration on Facebook.

If you meet the requirements after Spring 2019: 1. Log in to AggieNetwork.com by June 13 (You will need to create an account on this website.)

2. In the Aggie Ring tab, click on "Order Your Aggie Ring" 3. Follow the steps to customize your Aggie Ring to check your eligibility.

4. If eligible, schedule an appointment online to order your Aggie Ring at the Aggie Ring Office.

• If you are unable to order in person, submit an order to the Aggie Ring Program prior to the deadline.

5. On your appointment day, visit the Aggie Ring Office to select your Ring size (with official Aggie Ring sizers) and pay for your Aggie Ring.

• FULL PAYMENT IS DUE AT TIME OF ORDER by cash, check or credit/debit card.

• Pricing is available online.

• Ring Loans are available to qualified, currently enrolled students at the Short Term Loan Office.

Visit AggieNetwork.com/Ring for full details.

Visit tx.ag/RingRequirements for information on eligibility requirements for ordering an Aggie Ring.

The Association of Former Students is HERE for Aggies during their days as students and former students, THERE for Aggies as they make their way around the world and EVERYWHERE that the Aggie Network needs us to be.

Aggie Ring Program at (979) 845-1050 | AggieNetwork.com

NEWS

5

The Battalion | 6.11.19

SAT’s index facing criticism New College Board initiative provides universities with adversity index rates

By Brady Stone @bradystonex

James Stewart — Brady Standard-Herald

A bronze statue of James Earl Rudder in his combat uniform was revealed in downtown Brady on the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The unveiling was attended by (left to right) his son-in-law Jim Williams, daughters Linda Rudder Williams and Anne Rudder Erdman, and son James “Bud” Rudder.

Forever a part of history Rudder statue unveiled on the 75th anniversary of D-Day invasion

By Abigail Ochoa @AbigailOchoa88 James Earl Rudder is known at Texas A&M as a former president of the university, Class of 1932 and a staple in A&M’s overall history. On Thursday, June 6 Rudder became a permanent part of the town of Brady, Texas.

An eight-foot tall statue of Rudder in his World War II uniform was unveiled in its new home at the downtown Brady square.

Rudder began his career as a high school coach in Brady before eventually becoming the town’s mayor in 1945. He later went back to his alma mater and became the 16th president of A&M in 1959 and the third president of A&M Systems in 1965.

American historian and author of “Rudder: From Leader to Legend,” Thomas Hatfield

spoke at the unveiling about Rudder’s relationship with the town of Brady.

“Earl Rudder loved Brady, Texas and Brady, Texas loved Earl Rudder. The proof of that is your presence here today,” Hatfield said. “Earl adopted Brady as his hometown in 1933. His remarkable career began here.

Brady gave Earl, a poor boy from Eden, [Texas] a hand hold on the wall of life and he made the most of it.”

Hatfield wrapped up his remarks by reminding residents that Rudder would always be a part of the town and its history.

“To the end of his life, to his very last day, when he was asked to introduced himself he always said ‘I’m Earl Rudder from Brady, Texas,’” Hatfield said. “With the magnificent achievement by [the Kelley’s], Earl Rudder is back in Brady, Texas to stay.”

According to an article in the Brady Standard-Herald, the $80,000 project began years ago and is meant to be a tribute to Rudder’s influence on the town while he was its mayor.

Rudder’s son, James Earl Rudder Jr. worked

closely with the Heart of Texas Historical Museum to bring this statue to life, including offering his father’s uniform as reference.

Sculptor Troy Kelley created the statue of Rudder and said in a interview with KLSTTV that he was excited to be on the project and the process was “a labor of love.” According to the same news station, over 60 members of Rudder’s family attended the unveiling on Thursday.

Aside from the impact Rudder had on the town, the day of the statue’s unveiling was also important to his military career.

Thursday, June 6 marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion — the battle between military troops and Nazi’s on the beaches of Normandy, France during World War II. During his time as a U.S. Army Lieutenant Col., Rudder led the Pointe du Hoc battle, which played a major part in the D-Day invasion. The Army Rangers, led by Rudder, scaled the 100-foot cliff at Pointe du Hoc in Normandy to neutralize Germany guns.

On the 40th anniversary of D-Day in

1984, former president Ronald Reagan made a speech at the U.S. Ranger Monument on the northern coast of France where the Pointe du Hoc battle took place.

“These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc,” Reagan said. “These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.”

In front of D-Day veterans and world leaders, Reagan continued his speech and said the 225 Rangers, made a major sacrifice for America that day.

“You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man,” Reagan said. “All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.”

Nic Tan — THE BATTALION

College Board’s Adversity Index information will be available to all universities in 2020. The decision to use the index will be left to each individual institution.

In response to research that shows a higher average score is associated with a higher family income, the SAT has created an Adversity Index rating which has received mixed reactions from both school officials and students.

Standardized college admissions testing, like the SAT, have long been seen as an equalizer among those who are disadvantaged and those who are privileged. Although all students have the opportunity to achieve the same score, statistics in the 2018 SAT Suite of Assessments report show higher scores are associated with higher family income.

The SAT’s response to this dilemma is an introduction of a numerical rating, from zero to 100, of the adversity experienced in a student’s neighborhood and high school. The index is generated using federal education and census data about education, income, family structure, jobs and housing, as well as College Board data about college enrollment. It will be expanded to 150 colleges and universities later this year and will be available to all colleges in 2020.

According to the College Board, it will be up to the particular college as to how and whether or not the information from the index is used. Some students believe that this initiative should be used in admissions, as it could level the playing field between the privileged and poor communities.

“I think TAMU using this index would allow for a more diverse group of applicants in each year’s admissions pools,” urban planning and development sophomore Dianna Cervantes said. “So many passionate people I know would love to be a part of different programs the university offers and are completely turned away because of standardized test scores that favor those who can afford expensive tutoring.”

The SAT’s attempt at helping disadvantaged students has been likened to affirmative action by many. But, the College Board leaves out one major determining factor in it’s new index: race — a factor that some students feel cannot be encompassed by the SAT’s Adversity Index as it is. “[The Adversity Index] doesn’t go far enough to be compared to a policy like affirmative ac-

tion,” political science junior Edgar Rivera said.

“There are other factors that disproportionately affect POC that I don’t think the new index takes into account, whereas affirmative action addressed those factors directly.”

Affirmative action, although not used by Texas A&M, has met many legal road bumps and was replaced in many Texas colleges by the “Top 10% Rule,” that guarantees admission to all state-funded universities for Texas students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class.

Secondary counselor at Hawkins ISD and Class of 1999, Amanda Weiss said that although this adversity score does leave out race as a determining factor for disadvantage, the relationship between adversity and race is obvious.

“I don’t think that any of us can argue the fact that there is a strong correlation between a lot of the determining factors with adversity index and the minority population,” Weiss said. “A school who admits students with a higher adversity score would probably also increase their admittance of minority students.”

In fact, the 2018 SAT report that indicated an achievement gap between family incomes also indicates achievement gaps between ethnicities as a critical priority among educators. But, Weiss said using an adversity score in college admissions to bridge these achievement gaps may only solve a symptom of the achievement inequality, rather than the inequality itself.

“Rather than focusing on an adversity index that would help the scores of these disadvantaged students, we should focus on why these students are not scoring as highly as their privileged counterparts,” Weiss said. “We need to look at how we can bridge these gaps in the classroom rather than trying to bridge these gaps with college entrance exam scoring.”

Freshman who are admitted to A&M have an estimated average SAT composite score of 1320, and for students who score under 1210, admission chances are considered low according to collegesimply.com.

Although it is unclear how or if A&M will use this Adversity Index, Weiss said using it for admissions purposes will hurt students who don’t meet admissions requirements more than it would help them.

“Entrance criteria is set using student success statistics, so letting a student in that does not meet the scoring requirements because of their adversity score would only hurt the student in the long run,” Weiss said. “I would like to see colleges using this adversity score, not to determine whether a student should be admitted or not, but to identify students who are disadvantaged, and provide them support so that they can raise their score to meet the set admission requirements.”

SPORTS

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The Battalion | 6.11.19

PROVIDED

Andrew Hancock — Texas A&M Athletics

PROVIDED

Junior golfer Amber Park moved from South Korea at the age of two and picked up her first golf club at five years old. Park finished the 2018-2019 season with 96 birdies.

Life in the fairway Amber Park reflects on her journey to golf, importance of strong work ethic

By Jack Holmes @Jack_Holmes98 The golf course has always been a place of comfort for Amber Park. It allows her to keep her life in the fairway. From a young age, Park said she remembers playing with her father, which helped her begin to feel more comfortable about her new life on a new continent.

“Golf has been the steadiest thing in my life,” Park said.

Park moved to the United States from South Korea with her parents, Bu Kyoung and Hyeog, just before her second birthday.

She said life was not always easy, but she found her way through, much to the credit of golf.

Now a junior at Texas A&M and a member of the women’s golf team, Park has excelled both academically and on the course.

Shortly after Park’s freshman season ended, head coach Trelle McCombs was fired by A&M. McCombs had been the Aggies’ head coach for 11 seasons, and was the person who recruited Park to College Station.

“It was a big shock,” Park said. “Though I knew it was for the better and the best for our team.”

Andrea Gaston, a three-time national champion head coach, was hired by A&M to replace McCombs. Although it was an unexpected change, Park said she has enjoyed Gaston’s coaching and sees a lot of herself in

their new mentor.

“We’re both really competitive,” Park said.

“She loves the game of golf, and she’ll do all that she can to help us grow and become the best players that we can be. Her work ethic is awesome. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her take a break.”

Despite only being a sophomore for the 2018-2019 season, Park said she felt as if she had to step up under the new regime. The team is young, and she is already one of the more experienced players.

“She leads by example,” Gaston said.

“She’s probably one of the hardest working individuals on our team.”

Park stressed that one of the most important characteristics to her is having a strong work ethic. Along with that, she defined a leader as someone who cares for others, especially in an individual sport like golf.

“It can be really easy to become selfish,” Park said. “I’m working my hardest to show [my teammates] that it doesn’t have to be like that.”

After moving to Texas from Korea, her family’s first home was in Mesquite, just east of Dallas, Park said. Her parents opened a donut shop that they still operate today. For the past 18 years, Park said her parents have worked hard for what they have, including daily 3 a.m. wake-up times. But life was not always as pleasant as it is now.

“It was really difficult for me growing up in [Mesquite], a low socio-economic area,” Park said. “There were not a lot of people like me.”

It would not be long until Park found something that would help her adapt.

“My dad started playing golf when we came here because golf in Korea is really expensive,” Park said.

She followed his lead, first picking up a club at the age of five.

“When my dad found out my sister enjoyed playing golf, he was just amazed and really happy,” Amber’s younger brother Aar-

on said.

Park said she soon found herself teeing it up with her father regularly, which was crucial to her starting to enjoy life in Texas. Little did she know how far the game would take her.

The young golfer said she began playing competitively around the age of 12. Even through the adversity that any golfer experiences, her love for the game continued to grow. Soon, Park said she decided to pursue golf more seriously.

“We moved to Allen because of what I wanted to do with my golf career,” Park said.

As a freshman at Allen High School in 2014, Park was a member of the varsity team and helped the school win a state title. She said the early success showed her what the standards were for that team, and it was a happy moment for the team to be recognized.

Park’s success continued throughout her high school career, which led to both all-district and all-state recognition. When the time came, she was the No. 2 recruit from the state of Texas, according to Golfweek. None of that came without hard work though, as her brother noticed.

“She put a lot of time in,” Aaron said. “In fact, I rarely got to see her while she was still here because after school she would go to golf from four to eight o’clock. At home, should would have to catch up on her academics. I’ve never seen anyone work harder than her.”

Park was contacted by colleges at the beginning of her freshman year, but said it was hard to see herself somewhere else in four years at such a young age.

“You start taking visits towards the end of sophomore year,” Park said. “I only visited a couple of schools within Texas. I saw A&M and saw the potential I could have there.”

Park had a promising start to her collegiate career in College Station. As a freshman, she had three top-10 finishes and was second in the SEC among freshman with 96 birdies, according to 12thman.com. Despite making it

look easy, Park said it was a challenge trying to separate golf, school and her social life.

“It takes a special kind of student-athlete to be able to do that,” Gaston said. “Usually, in their [first two years] I think they encounter a lot of challenges. It’s the first time they’re really on their own having to make decisions for themselves.”

Coming into her sophomore season, Park said there was a tough dynamic with the new players and a new coaching staff. Their results reflected this, as the team never finished inside the top-five during their 2018 fall schedule.

When spring arrived, the story was different. The Aggies managed four top-five finishes in six tournaments and won a matchplay event against Texas State. The team’s turnaround earned them a 19th consecutive NCAA Regional selection, where they placed 13th in May. Park led the way during the regular season with a 73.29 scoring average, two top-five finishes and four top-10’s.

During the season, Park said some of the happiest times are when her parents are able to come and watch her compete.

“They were able to come out to our event in Denton,” Park said. “That was really cool because my parents were able to take out the whole team for barbecue...That was definitely one of the highlights of my season.”

Park’s strong work ethic, independence and love of golf, as described by those that know her, have helped her continue to find the fairway in the country her family now calls home.

Looking to the future, Park said she plans to pursue a professional career in golf, but for now, she doesn’t mind going back to where it all started.

“My mom has been getting into [golf],” Park said. “But whenever I am home my dad and I still go and play all the time.”

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The Battalion | 6.11.19

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ANSWERS

Texas A&M is removing the academic admissions process in the fall of 2021.

Currently students can be admitted three different ways: rank in the top 10 percent of their class and be automatically accepted, be an ‘academic admit’ which requires students be in the top quarter of their graduating class and have a minimum SAT score of 1360 and a composite ACT score of 30, or they can be accepted though the holistic review process.

In the Fall of 2021, applicants will only be admitted if they fall into the top 10 percent or by holistic review. The decision to change the admissions process was made collaboratively by Enrollment Management, the Provost Office and the Office of Admissions. The change will allow much of the 2025 A&M freshmen class to be admitted through holistic review if they do not fall in the top 10 percent of their class. The holistic review will still evaluate a student’s class rank and test scores, but will also take into account an student’s application and essay, extracurricular activities, leadership roles, employment and experience in overcoming adversity.

Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Brandie Eneks, Class of 1993 said A&M continues to see growth in the number of applicants because of the wide percentage that get accepted.

“We continue to see an increase in the number of freshman applications to the university, as well as an increase in the number of students who qualify [for] automatic admission via top 10 percent and academic admission,” Eneks said. “Our goal is to identify well rounded students who are high achieving both inside and outside the classroom.”

Anthonette Ruffino, owner and executive director of Sylvan Learning Center in College Station said she does not view the change as eliminating anyone from the process.

“It will help [prospective students] to realize that there is a potential for them to go to college, but the bottom line is you need to have the academic skills to be successful and extracurricular involvement to be more mature,” Ruffino said.

Founder of Aggieland Tutoring and Class of 2011, Aaron Forester said prospective students should consider building a portfolio that makes it through the holistic review, in addition to their class rank and test scores.

“Those who are not in the top 10 percent need to compete a lot more vigorously,” Forester said. “I think it’s going to benefit both students and the university.”

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

to todays puzzles

A&M admissions process changed to reflect well-rounded students, takes effect in 2021

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