The Battalion: September 15, 2016

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2016 STUDENT MEDIA | @THEBATTONLINE

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LOOK AHEAD TO AUBURN ON PAGE 5 JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR’S JOURNEY TO A&M ON PAGE 7 RUSTY THOMPSON’S LEGACY LIVES ON ON PAGE 9

+ THE ROAD TO AUBURN FIRST SEC CONTEST OF SEASON SATURDAY

RING DAY 2016 FRIDAY AT CLAYTON WILLIAMS ALUMNI CENTER

Alexis Will — THE BATTALION

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Sept. 17, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS — 2:30 p.m. on CBS

Alex Miller

W

@AlexMill20

eek two was a beauty for the SEC, but division battles lie ahead on the western front this weekend, which may start to shape up into a thrilling conference slate as we dive deeper into the season.

Mississippi State at No. 20 LSU

Here we go again — the Rebels have stunned the Tide in this matchup two years in a row. Hugh Freeze’s current bunch, however, is not the same it has been in the last two seasons, and Nick Saban has lost to the same team three times in a row as a head coach only once, when a kid from Purdue named Drew Brees defeated Saban’s Michigan State team three years in a row. If the Rebels want to take down the top-ranked Tide yet again, Chad Kelly will have to play even better than his 341-yard and three touchdown passing performance in Tuscaloosa a season ago. Kelly and his skill players finally caught their rhythm last week, as five different players found the endzone, a positive step forward for a team still searching for offensive identity. The salty Alabama secondary has other ideas, though, as the unit has allowed just 173 passing yards per game this year. The Tide is too much for the turbulent Rebels and will roll in Oxford. Prediction: Alabama 35, Ole Miss 17

Sept. 17, Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA 6:00 p.m. on ESPN2 After Brandon Harris was benched last week social media drama ensued, and it appears Danny Etling will be the Tigers’ QB1 against the Bulldogs. Despite the Bayou Bengals’ quarterback drama, Leonard Fournette returns to the backfield after missing last week due to injury. This could be a classic trap game, however, as the Tigers are slowly bleeding more internally and the Bulldogs are carrying momentum from their convincing 27-14 win over South Carolina last Saturday — a game in which Nick Fitzgerald set a State single-game quarterback rushing record after he pounded out 17 carries for 195 yards and two scores on Will Muschamp’s Gamecock defense. Likewise, Death Valley is not a place any team can walk into and easily steal a win, as LSU may just be too talented for the Bulldogs to overcome.

Prediction: LSU 28, Mississippi State 20

Vanderbilt at Georgia Tech

Sept. 17, Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta GA 11:30 a.m. on ACC Network Extra No, these two schools are not competing in a scholastic decathlon this Saturday, but they are meeting on the football field. Both squads favor old school, pound-the-rock tactics on offense. The Commodores and Jackets each average more than 200 rushing yards per game and fewer than 100 passing yards per game with a combined one passing touchdown on the season.

This old-fashioned slugfest will be a grind through the Atlanta afternoon, but Vanderbilt may keep a postgame party from forming down the street at The Varsity. Prediction: Vanderbilt 17, Georgia Tech 16

Bonus Pick: New Mexico State at Kentucky This one is for my Grandad, UK class of 1971. His Wildcats got chomped in The Swamp by Florida last week and are the only winless team left in the SEC. Surely Kentucky can defeat New Mexico State and surely quarterback Drew Barker can only go up from his 2-of-10 for 10 yards and 3 INT performance last weekend, right? No matter what happens in Lexington this Saturday, just remember, Grandad: It is just one day closer to basketball season.

Prediction: Kentucky 38, New Mexico St. 23

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Sept. 17, Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, KY — 3:00 p.m. on SEC Network

ANSWERS

to todays puzzles

SCITECH

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The Battalion | 9.15.16

TECHNOLOGY

IOS 10 BRINGS UPDATES TO IPHONES The new iOS 10 update for Apple products brings multiple changes, including new features in iMessage, 72 additional emojis and new interface outlooks in applications.

A bulk of the software updates are within iMessage. When typing a text message, iMessage now provides users with suggested emojis. Videos can be played within iMessage and Grace Neumann — THE BATTALION users can preview URLs sent from friends. The new invisible ink attribute hides a message until the recipient swipes his or her finger across the chat bubble. Users can also write responses to text messages with their hand.

Newly added emojis include an LGBT rainbow flag, human emojis with different skin tones and a squirt gun replacing the revolver.

The Photo app has new features that group similar photos together, the new and improved Siri can perform actions in third-party applications and the swipe-up menu at the bottom of the screen offers updated access to control music and audio.

— Staff Report

CONGRATULATIONS! Join the celebration as 4,353 shiny new Aggie Rings will be delivered at the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center

September 16 • Aggie Ring Day 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

THE STATE OF RACE AND POLICING IN AMERICA LECTURE SERIES presents: Dr. Khalilah Brown-Dean Associate Professor at Quinnipiac University

“Beyond Ferguson: Rethinking Community and Social Justice in the United States” Wednesday, September 21, 2016 Reception at 5:00 p.m.

Event at 5:30 p.m.

Annenberg Presidential Conference Center

All events are free and open to the public.

For more information or to register: bush.tamu.edu/events/

Ring Tickets distributed online at AggieNetwork.com. Limited tickets available at the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center.

Visit tx.ag/RingDay2016 to assist in planning your Ring Day experience. Over 30,000 guests are expected on Aggie Ring Day, so please prepare accordingly.

Important Reminders • The Haynes Ring Plaza is a restricted area for ticketed Ring recipients and their guests. The Ticket Check is on the west side of the Ring Plaza.

• The Aggie Ring replica is not a photo station during Ring Day. Personal photography stations are available outside of the Alumni Center.

• The Aggie Ring Shuttle drop off is on Houston St. on the west side of the Alumni Center.

If your group’s time has already passed, please wait until the top of the hour when your group will be called once again. Entrance will only be allowed if it is either your group’s approximated time slot or when your group is called at the top of the hour (see schedule for clarification).

AggieNetwork.com

RINGDAY

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The Battalion | 9.15.16

Collegiate rings around Texas The University of Texas The University of Texas ring was designed in 1996 by a committee of students. While a student, the side with the iconic campus bell tower remains on the inside, closest to the heart. After graduation, the Texas Exes symbol — UT’s alumni association — is worn facing in.

The University of Texas Tower is a defining landmark on campus. “It is a constant reminder that what starts here changes the world.”

“Disciplina Praesidium Civitatis,” a quote from former Republic of Texas President Mirabeau Lamar, which means, “Education is the safeguard of democracy.”

The Texas Exes symbol is there to link the generations of graduates.

Texas State University Texas State’s original campus building, Old Main, which opened its doors in 1903. The San Marcos river runs through campus and is on this side with tubers also floating by.

Texas star on top of an oak and laurel leaf, with the name and founding date of the university, 1899.

As a student, the words Texas State face inward as a reminder of the goal to reach within. After graduation, the ring is turned to show readiness to represent Texas State in all endeavors.

The “supercat” logo, which was designed by student Brad Monk in 2003 and the school flower, the gaillardia.

Baylor University Designed in 1995, Baylor’s class ring features its university seal and motto, “Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana” and “Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas” around the top.

Statues of Judge R.E.B. Baylor and Pat Neff Hall, two memorial lampposts, along with Texas and Christian flags and the ivy chain from Ring Out.

Inside: Engraved inside the ring is the recipient’s initials, graduating year, degree letters and another Horned Frog.

The Aggie Ring is recognized around the world for its ageless design and rich tradition. It is not the only university class ring in Texas, however, and several other Texas schools have storied histories behind their class rings, too. Here are a few of the symbols and stories behind some of the Lone Star State’s other rings.

The Quadrangle Bell, bear mascot, Old Main, graduation year and a small railroad spike honoring the “Immortal Ten.”

Inside: “Sic ‘Em Bears,” recipient’s initials, degree and class year.

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University’s official seal is the torch and star, which symbolize the “light of learning.”

On the seal is the image of the Horned Frog mascot, the university’s founding date of 1873 and the motto “Disciplina est facultas” which means “knowledge is power.”

By Gracie Mock @g_mock2

FOOTBALL The Battalion | 9.15.16

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AGGIES READY TO TANGLE WITH THE TIGERS

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HE B

ATT ALIO N

The matchup will showcase two defensive ends trying to sack the opposing quarterback — Myles Garrett and Carl Lawson — who are predicted as potential top-10 draft picks by NFL experts.

A&M leads the all-time series against Auburn 4-2. In the Sumlin era, A&M is 2-0 at Jordan-Hare Stadium but has also faltered both times at Kyle Field to Malzahn’s Tigers. A win for A&M would move the Aggies’ road record to 13-6 with Sumlin at the helm.

Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be nationally televised by ESPN.

dale

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fter winning its first two outings against UCLA and Prairie View, Texas A&M will travel to Auburn in an attempt to win its third game in a row for a third straight consecutive season for the first time since 1941.

The last meeting between the two teams was last season Nov. 7, when Auburn defeated A&M 26-10 at Kyle Field and handed the team its third loss of the season. Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk said he still thinks about how the Aggies lost the game.

“I did look at the film,” Kirk said.

“I looked at it more personnel wise just seeing what their guys are doing and I compare it to this year. Obviously it’s disappointing to watch. You see all the little things that went wrong and they stick out to you. You stress it to the guys to not let it happen anymore. We’ve got to come into the game with a chip on our shoulder.”

Auburn (1-1) is coming off a 5114 victory against Arkansas State and the previous week narrowly lost to No. 5 Clemson 19-13 at

burn’s head coach Gus Malzahn.

“Auburn controls the ball down the field as well as anybody,” Chavis said.

“When you look at their offense, there are a lot of Wing-T principles, and they go fast. Our biggest challenge is to get our cleats in the ground and get ready to play. The fast pace and the outstanding athletes they have make the offense work. They’re going to be fundamentally sound and play hard.”

A&M’s offense is led by quarterback Trevor Knight and leading receiver Kirk. Knight has thrown for 583 yards and four touchdowns while also running for three scores. Kirk is first on the team in receiving and has 13 receptions good for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Keith Ford has emerged as the primary back thus far in the season after scoring three touchdowns and averaging 5.8 yards per carry against UCLA and Prairie View A&M.

artin

By Lawrence Smelser @LawrenceSmelser

home.

The Tiger offense is led by quarterback Sean White, who had an impressive outing against Arkansas State where he went 17-of-23 for 244 yards and three touchdowns. The primary backs in the Auburn ground game are sophomores Kerryon Johnson, who is fourth in the SEC in rushing, and Kamryn Pettway, who ran for 152 yards against Arkansas State.

“Sean White is one of those Elite-11 guys,” said A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin said. “He’s got a skill set and can throw it. He can run when they ask him to and throw deep and accurately ... Anyone on the field can carry the ball in that offense. Everyone is eligible, I’ve seen them throw it to the tackle.

What’s important is we have to watch the play-action stuff. Sean’s got a great arm and can get it over our heads.”

The Aggies (2-0) enter the game after earning their first shutout since 2004.

Defensive coordinator John Chavis said the Aggies have to be physical to stop the well-executed offense that’s run by Au-

Jac ob M

A&M football to travel to Auburn for tough SEC opener Saturday

FOOTBALL

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The Battalion | 9.15.16

FROM

LINEMAN LONDON

Senior right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor says his dream of playing Division 1 collegiate football was realized midway through the UCLA game Sept. 3.

Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor reflects on his England and junior college roots in preparation for A&M’s first road game of 2016

FILE

TIGER STADIUM

NOV 18

“It didn’t hit me until I ran out of that tunnel,” Eluemunor said. “It didn’t hit me that I was playing until midway through UCLA. I’ve been here a while but it took a while to actually hit me that I’m at A&M and I’m really living my dream out … I had to pinch myself. Just to see how far I’ve come from not getting recruited to being a starting right tackle at a top SEC school at A&M. It just goes to show you can do whatever you want as long as you put your mind to it.”

See Eleumunor in action as the Aggies pay a visit to Auburn in their first SEC contest this Saturday. Kick off is at 6 p.m.

NOV 25

the best schools in the country. It just shows that hard work pays off even when you think it won’t. Even when you think no one’s watching, there’s always a plan.”

All the pieces fell into place after he took a visit to College Station, Eluemunor said.

“It was very, very big,” Eluemunor said. “Compared to my junior college [Texas A&M] was humongous. I just started saying ‘Howdy’ because I’m from the east coast. [I liked] just how close everyone is. If you go to A&M, you have a family.”

After a lengthy and chaotic recruiting process, it was almost surreal to finally settle down in College Station, Eluemunor said.

VAUGHT-HEMMINGWAY STADIUM

KYLE FIELD

NOV 11

KYLE FIELD

KYLE FIELD

room. Being in Scranton — no one really goes down there.”

With his size, strength and determination, it was just a matter of time before he got his lucky break. Eluemunor said he remembers receiving his first offer from a Division I school.

“It took me by surprise because I didn’t really know what was going on,” Eluemunor said. “I looked on the Internet the next day and it said [Florida State] offered me a full scholarship. So I called them and said, ‘Did y’all really offer me a full scholarship?’ And they were like, ‘Yeah, you didn’t know that?’ It was a crazy experience because you go from not knowing what your future holds to knowing that you have offers from

NOV 4

sprints or maybe the extra reps because I’m here now.”

Even under great mentorship, the road to collegiate football wasn’t an easy one, Eluemunor said. He said at a small junior college of about 1,500 students, publicity is hard to come by.

“It was tough because you don’t have any offers and you’re there working your butt off and you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Eluemunor said. “I went in there with no offers and no one knew about me.

I walked on and really had to get myself out there sending a bunch of emails every single day to coaches. I probably sent maybe 500 emails out to coaches around the country. My JUCO was one building and a dorm

OCT 28

BEN HILL GRIFFIN STADIUM

OCT 14

OCT 7

KYLE FIELD

always knew I had the talent, I just needed someone to believe in me and take a chance on me.”

That’s exactly what he found at Lackawanna. Eluemunor was introduced to Coach Mark Duda, who he said molded him into the player he is today.

“Next to Coach Sumlin, [Duda] is my favorite coach and is like a father figure to me,” Eluemunor said. “I went to JUCO really not knowing anything about football, just knew that you hit people and that was about it. They were hard on me but that was because they knew what I could do. At first I didn’t know ...

But now when I think back, I’m happy that they made me do the extra

KYLE FIELD

don” attended Morris Knolls High School in New Jersey, where he compiled a 30-7 record, reached the state wrestling finals and set his sights on playing football at a collegiate level. Although he went unrecruited in high school, he said he never lost hope. In 2012, Eluemunor walked on as a lineman at Lackawanna.

“I’ve always had people tell me ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I can’t do that’ and out of high school no one really wanted me so I could’ve said, ‘Alright I’m just going to quit football.’

But, I love playing and it gave me an opportunity to come to America from England. I’ve always believed in myself and I’ve always had my family backing me up,” Eluemunor said. “I

SEPT 30

SEPT 23

AT&T STADIUM

KYLE FIELD

KYLE FIELD

locker room, I’m glad he’s one of my teammates.”

The man under center had nothing but praise for his lineman. Knight said he had a lot of faith lining up behind Eluemunor.

“Jermaine Eluemunor is one of my favorite guys to be around,” Knight said. “On the field he’s a guy that plays with a lot of intensity. He’s very solid in his technique and the way he plays.

He’s a guy that I got really close with when I got here. He’s just a great guy to be around and one of those guys that’s friends with everybody and everybody likes him and you gravitate towards him. I love ‘London’ both as a football player and as a guy.”

Once in the United States, “Lon-

SEPT 16

more than a game to me — it’s really changed my life.”

Although his size is intimidating and he towers over everyone, his teammates say Eluemunor is a humble and respectful player. Quarterback Trevor Knight and wide receiver Christian Kirk both referred to Eluemunor as “a big teddy bear.”

“On the field Jermaine is a hard-working guy,” Kirk said. “He’s very physical. I mean you can see that from his size. I think the thing about him is he’s always willing to learn and you know he’s going to do his job to the best of his ability. Everybody loves him and he’s unique being where he’s from — he’s just different.

He’s a fun guy to be around in the

SEPT 9

2017 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

ROSE BOWL

F

rom British rugby player to junior college hopeful to SEC starting right tackle, Jermaine Eluemunor’s journey to Texas A&M was longer than most.

Eluemunor, or “London,” as his teammates call him, is an England native who transferred to Texas A&M from Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 2014. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound offensive lineman earned his first start in A&M’s Music City Bowl, where he also won the Hot Chicken Eating

Contest. Now Eluemunor is a key component of the Aggie front line.

Eluemunor was introduced to football at the age of 11 when he lived in North London. Three years later he moved to New Jersey with his father and a dream of success in America.

“I came [to America] and I promised my parents I was going to make it,” Eluemunor said. “Coming to a country with nothing, you really have to want something in order to be successful. In my mind I had to make it because [my parents] took a risk coming here. It just goes to show that football’s been a big factor in my life and it opened doors that I never knew would be offered to me. It’s

SEPT 2

By Kevin Roark @Kevin_Roark

RINGDAY

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The Battalion | 9.15.16

A trio of Colorado metal-hunters stumbled upon an old, dirt-encrusted Aggie Ring. Their investigation into who it belonged to led to Christopher Hammel, who lost his Aggie Ring during a ski trip 33 years ago.

LOST & RETURNED AGGIE RING FOUND ON MOUNTAIN IN COLORADO AFTER BEING LOST FOR 33 YEARS

By Meredith McCown @meredithrhoads

W

hat was supposed to be an ordinary day metal-detecting on the Colorado slopes turned out to be the exact opposite for Chris Davis and two friends when their detectors discovered a piece of Aggie gold on a mountain in Breckenridge.

Davis — along with Jack Hoover and Win Faires — set off July 12 to search for treasure around Lakewood, Colorado. The trio usually turned up a plethora of bottle caps, pull tabs and corroded coins but on that summer day saw something unique — an Aggie Ring, Class of

1982. After scraping off some of the dirt that stuck to the ring from its burial in the ski slopes, the name “Christopher C. Hammel” was revealed.

Once Davis realized it was an Aggie Ring, he knew without delay what was at stake.

“Hoover hollered that he had found a ring, so I asked him what it was and he responded that he didn’t know but the ring had ‘82 on it,” Davis said. “Anyway, it sounded like a class ring. So I eased over and took a look, and it didn’t take me any time at all to determine that it was a Texas A&M class ring.”

Davis had attended Texas A&M briefly during his college years and was aware of the significance of an Aggie Ring to current and former

students. With this knowledge in mind, Davis and his friends began a search to find Hammel and return to him the valuable piece of gold.

“By the time I was done cleaning it off Chris wandered over and said, ‘That’s an Aggie Ring,’” Hoover said. “I knew nothing about the Aggie Ring tradition. You never know what you’re going to find.”

The group’s search took them through several different leads. They called the Association of Former Students and reached a disconnected phone number in Katy before finally finding a woman listed as family to Hammel under a local real estate agency online. The woman turned out to be Hammel’s ex-wife.

“Later that night I received a call from Christopher Hammel himself,”

Davis said, referring to the night he made contact with Hammel’s exwife. “I asked him to describe it to me, and he immediately confirmed that it was indeed an Aggie class ring and he told me exactly where he had lost it, so everything clicked.”

Hammel, who now lives in Houston, had been on a ski trip in 1982 with his younger brother, Andrew. His brother kept falling on the slopes, and Hammel would take off his gloves to help him, ultimately leading to the loss of the ring that he had only worn for a few months prior.

“I was upset when I lost it at first because I knew it had been when I was skiing. I wore it all the time, I had only had it a few months,” Hammel said. “I knew it was lost

PROVIDED

forever. There was no way to go back and look for it; it was somewhere on a ski slope.”

Little did Hammel know that 33 years later, his piece of Aggie gold would be discovered by a metal detector and returned to him.

“It really does represent the Aggie spirit. Chris knew exactly what the ring was when he saw it, and I had replaced it because I wanted to wear my Aggie ring so badly,” Hammel said. “I thought it was gone forever.

But he knew what it meant, and to contact me — an Aggie who wears his ring, who has worn his ring, and this was his original one. I sent them a picture of me on my graduation day and you could see the ring on my finger, the one that I had lost.”

RINGDAY

The Battalion | 9.15.16

A golden legacy

9

Rusty Thompson to be memorialized through ring endowment

“I think that’s one thing that his family really wanted to make sure — was that Rusty was leaving that legacy of rings back to students for the rest of time.”

Tom Reber, associate vice president for student affairs

By Joshua Samuel @jsamuelthebattw

F

ive months after his name was called at Muster, Rusty Thompson’s legacy will continue as an Aggie Ring endowment for generations of future students once funded.

Thompson — a beloved campus mentor whose multi-faceted service to Texas A&M included the titles of director of Student Activities, Muster Committee adviser and Yell Leader adviser — died March 12, one week after suffering a sudden heart attack. His dedication to A&M will now live on, as the Thompson family and the Association of Former Students seek funding for the Rusty Thompson ‘85 Endowed Memorial Aggie Ring Scholarship.

Tom Reber, associate vice president for student affairs, spearheaded

the formation of the endowment.

He said Thompson’s involvement with A&M and its students was unparalleled.

“As administrators, the more you work and the higher you get in the university, you deal with administrators more than you do students,” Reber said. “He was the one that always loved working with students.

He oversaw the Big Event, he oversaw CARPOOL, he oversaw Yell Leaders and so he had a lot of chances for interactions.”

Reber said the only thing Thompson loved more than Texas A&M was his family.

“He loved his family,” Reber said. “He spent a lot of time at work, but when he could spend time with his family and had the opportunity, he did. Both of his kids — Blayne and Brenna — went to A&M. He was a real proud dad … and he loved his wife. She’s a special lady,

so we’re going to do everything we can to support her.”

Kathryn Greenwade, vice president for communication and resources at the Association of Former Students, said the endowment hopes to provide Aggie Rings to students.

“Our endowed ring scholarship, once funded, will provide either one men’s ring per year or two women’s rings per year,” Greenwade said.

“The scholarship endowment is a $25,000 endowment and that will provide the scholarship in perpetuity [every year].”

Jennifer Boyle, interim director of Student Activities, said Thompson was heavily involved with every Ring Day. “The Aggie Ring was one of Rusty’s favorite things about Texas A&M,” Boyle said. “Every Ring Day he would go with his family to pass out Aggie Rings. It was just a very happy time for him, and he

believed that every Aggie should be able to get an Aggie Ring.”

Reber encouraged people to donate to the endowment fund.

Those wishing to contribute may bid on auction items at: 12thman. com/auctions. Those who wish to contribute directly to the endowment fund may do so at aggienetwork.com/give/ringscholarship/ and write “Rusty Thompson ’85 Endowed Memorial Ring Scholarship” in the comments.

“It goes to a great cause,” Reber said. “There are some great items, so even if you don’t know Rusty, we encourage you to bid on them.

This money will be an endowment, which will generate funds to purchase rings for Aggie students. I think that’s one thing that his family really wanted to make sure — was that Rusty was leaving that legacy of rings back to students for the rest of time.”

(Left) Rusty Thompson previously served as the director of Student Activities, yell leader adviser and Muster Committee adviser. The Rusty Thompson ‘85 Endowed Memorial Aggie Ring Scholarship, once funded, will go toward getting Aggie Rings for students.

(Right) After Rusty Thompson’s heart attack March 4, students, faculty and friends wrote letters supporting the Thompson family.

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The Battalion | 9.15.16

Angel Franco

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If you have three quarTony the Tiger is probably a better football player terbacks you have no than Auburn’s whole foot- quarterbacks. A&M wins 27-17. ball team.

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Katy Stapp Managing Editor @katyxstapp

92 days until graduation.

I’m just here so I don’t I’m too old for this job. get fined.

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