TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2016 STUDENT MEDIA | @THEBATTONLINE
Silver Taps
TONIGHT WE HONOR THE FALLEN when 10:30 p.m. Tuesday where Academic Plaza In honor of Aggies who have died, the Ross Volunteer Firing Squad will march in Academic Plaza and fire three rifle volleys of seven shots. Buglers from the Aggie Band will play a special arrangement of Taps.
Anton Gridnev Monisha Borugadda 11/10/91 — 4/13/16
Jack Bryant 12/22/95 — 4/8/16
Zhong-Hao Chen 7/31/90 — 5/26/16
Alex Clarke 2/23/93 — 3/25/16
Callie Sisk 5/24/95 — 4/22/16
Cassidy Venable 11/8/97 — 6/15/16
Anton Gridnev 8/19/97 — 8/20/16
SILVER TAPS ON PAGES 2, 3, 4 & 5
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THE BATTALION | THEBATT.COM
FILE
The first Silver Taps of the semester will be held at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday in Academic Plaza.
Silver Taps is more than a few names For loved ones of honorees, your attendance means a lot Sam King
A
@Sam_King372
nother school year has begun and with it the revival of several A&M traditions. Standing on the wood during football games. Saying “Howdy” to Aggies you pass by. But few traditions rival the importance of Silver Taps. I realize many of you have had the importance of Silver Taps pounded into your heads time and time again, be it through your Fish Camp, the various campus-wide emails you receive or wherever else. But at the risk of getting lost in the other requests, let me try to
convince you. Throughout my time at The Battalion I’ve written a few Silver Taps articles, stories like the ones you’ll read in today’s paper. And there is no experience more humbling. Listening to mothers cry as she fondly recounts the life of her child. Hearing a father’s voice break as he tells a favorite memory. Waiting while a best friend pauses on a sob as they tell me about the time their friend ate all the cupcakes they had made together. These people are not just names you scroll by in your inbox each month. They’re not just the SILVER TAPS ON PG. 3
Kevin Chou — THE BATTALION
Stowing Borrisov, aerospace engineering PhD candidate, takes the virtual reality set out for a spin.
FINAL VIRTUAL FRONTIER Aggies partner with NASA to create software to simulate, prepare for space By Christine Doran @cndoran
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irtual space exploration is at the fingertips of graduate students working at the ASTRO Center as they take technology similar to Minecraft to give an innovative way to prep for space travel.
The program, called SpaceCRAFT, will be open source, meaning anyone who downloads the free software will be able to add models of any structure they can imagine, using mathematical equations or codes. However, SpaceCRAFT isn’t just for the math geniuses of the world. Once a model is uploaded onto the site, if the creator of that model chooses to keep it open source, anyone can use that model. Mauricio Coen, aerospace engineering PhD candidate and the project leader for SpaceCRAFT, SPACECRAFT ON PG. 6
MaroonLink enters second year of use FILE
Recreation, parks and tourism sciences senior Johny Manziel is taking online classes this semester to finish his degree.
FOOTBALL
Johnny Manziel to take online classes at A&M Former A&M and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has re-enrolled in classes as of Monday morning. According to Ben Baby of the Dallas Morning News, a source close to Manziel confirmed his re-enrollment. Manziel is listed on the Texas A&M directory as a recreation, parks and tourism sciences senior. Manziel became a national and local celebrity after winning the
Heisman Trophy in his freshman season at A&M. After his second season in the maroon and white, Manziel elected to enter the 2014 NFL Draft where he was selected 22nd over all by the Cleveland Browns. In March, Manziel was released from the Browns and was involved in several off-the-field issues before returning to Aggieland. — Staff Report
New organization website rises above expectations By Josh Hopkins @texasjoshua1 An email sent out near the end of May 2015 heralded the death of over a thousand websites, and announced the official launch of a new organizational tool — MaroonLink. With the rise of MaroonLink, the decision was made to shut down the servers hosting organizational websites and prioritize the new system. Now in its second year, the number of students using MaroonLink has continued to increase. Ann Goodman, an associate director within Department of Student Activities on the Student Organization Conduct Board, said while in some ways it is replacing the old website system MaroonLink was introduced with a different
purpose. “A lot of students get confused and think it’s designed to be a webpage for their organization, which it’s really not designed to be that front facing webpage,” Ann Goodman said. “It’s designed to be a tool for their organization to coordinate all their activities, their membership, and it’s more of an internal place for business to be done.” Ann Goodman said MaroonLink was originally intended to focus on easing event planning for student organizations and departments. “We were trying to update and provide to students and departments across campus a mechanism to plan events that when they put the information into an online form it would route to the people MAROONLINK ON PG. 6
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The Battalion | 9.6.16
Dec. 22, 1995 — April 8, 2016
JACK RANDOLPH BRYANT A selfless Aggie with a strong faith By Josh McCormack @_joshmccormack
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a ny students, during their time at Texas A&M will try to embody the Aggie core values. Excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service. Jack Bryant honored these greater ideals, both before and during his time as a student. Jack, throughout his years acted in a way of selfless service that left an impact on those around him, representing his beliefs, like his faith, in a true and real way. “He has been on a mission trip every summer since sixth grade,” Jack’s mother, Jill Bryant, said. “It just continued, his love of wanting to help people, He was a very giving young man. He also worked in a church up in College Station where he would help foreign exchange students learn how to speak English. He would do that on Monday nights and he just loved that.” Not only did Jack have a heart for serving, but genuinely had a respect for others around him and acted with integrity, said Morris Bryant, Jack’s father. “Jack, along with his friends in high school, were pranksters. But they were good pranksters,” Morris said. “They thought that they were going to throw flour all over the hallways and floor of the high school. They realized that the janitorial staff was going to get stuck having to clean it up. Jack was the one to think, ‘We really shouldn’t do this, we should throw rose petals or something else other than flour.’ He did truly think of others even in his fun.” Jack and his friends ended up deciding to not throw anything on the hallways of the school, instead resolved a random act of kindness would better suit their intentions. “They actually went and just bought
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Jack Bryant strived to help others, share his faith and uphold the Aggie core values.
flowers, and he went to the administration and everybody and said that they had been ‘flowered,’” Jill said. “He did that so nothing would go on the floor because he was very fond of the janitorial staff. He wanted to make sure that she did not have to do any more work than necessary.” Jack especially showed loyalty to those he cared for. “He was always there for me when I needed him to be,” said Jack’s childhood friend and history junior Chris Hogue. “Whoever he came into contact with — it didn’t matter who or why they were coming into contact with him — he touched their lives.” In his personal time Jack had different passions that he enjoyed and pursued, including a love of film. “He loved watching movies that’s for sure. He was a big fan of ‘Star
Wars,’” Hogue said. Jack also took pleasure in being outside to get some exercise. “Jack loved to run,” Jill said. “He was an avid runner and loved just about every sport.” On top of the things he loved, Jack relished a good home-cooked meal. “Chicken pot pie that his mother made was his favorite meal,” Morris said. Not only did Jack embody what a student at Texas A&M should aspire to be, but he enjoyed his time as an Aggie, Jill said. “He said that he loved that it was close knit even though it was big,” Jill said. “He loved the friendly atmosphere of the campus. You know it was hard his freshman year — it’s always hard on the campus — but he never felt alone.”
Nov. 8, 1997 — June 15, 2016 SEPT. 19th thru OCT. 13th CASSIDY GABRIELA VENABLE Monday thru Thursday A caring friend with a passion for learning 10am - 3pm By Brad Canon @BradCanon1
Should any student be unable to make the specified times on campus they can contact Specialties directly to set up a complimentary in-studio appointment at 979-696-9898. Any graduating seniors who wish to set up a cap/gown photo will need to contact the studio at 979-696-9898. Cap/Gown sessions cost $21.95. ALL CLASSES will be in the yearbook. Photos are taken at the SANDERS CORPS MUSEUM LIBRARY!
It’s your yearbook. Be in it.
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The IndependenT STudenT VoIce of TexaS a&M SInce 1893
Mark Doré, Editor Editor inin Chief Chief Sam King, Aimee Breaux, Managing Editor Jennifer Reiley, Asst. Managing Editor Katy Stapp, Managing Editor Lindsey Gawlik, News Editor Chevall EditorEditor SamanthaPryce, King,News Asst. News Angel Franco, Katy Stapp, Asst.Sports NewsEditor Editor Chris Martin,SciSciTech Editor John Rangel, Tech Editor
Katie Canales, Life & Arts Editor Carter Karels, Sports Editor Leah Kappayil, Chief Shelby Knowles, Photo Photo Editor Alexis Bradshaw, Will, VideoAsst. Editor Allison Photo Editor Olivia Adam, Designer Meredith Collier,Page Page Designer Zuri Sanchez, Claire Shepherd,Page PageDesigner Designer
Rachael Saunders, Page Designer Gracie Mock, SciTech Editor Josh McCormack, Life and Arts Editor Kirsten Jacobson, Page Designer Grace Neumann, Page Designer
The BaTTalion is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, daily, TX 77843. in Suite L400 THE BATTALION is published MondayOffices throughare Thursday during theoffallthe and Memorial Studentand Center. spring semesters Tuesday and Thursday during the summer session (except holidays news and department exam periods)is managed at Texas byA&M University, News: University The Battalion students at College TX 77843. inOffices are Media, in Suite aL400 Center. Texas Station, A&M University Student unitofofthetheMemorial DivisionStudent of Student Affairs. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M website:inhttp://www.thebatt.com. University Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. Newsroom Advertising: Publication of advertising doeswebsite: not imply sponsorship or phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; http://www.thebatt.com. endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display Publication of advertising does advertising, not imply call sponsorship Advertising: advertising, call 979-845-2687. For classified 979-845-or endorsement TheareBattalion. campus, local,through and national display 0569. Officebyhours 8 a.m. toFor 5 p.m. Monday Friday. Email: advertising call 979-845-2687. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. battads@thebatt.com. 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 A part of the University Advancement FeeBattalion. entitles eachFirst Texascopy A&M Subscriptions: free, additional $1. of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1. student to pick up acopies single copy
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h at Cassidy Gabriela Venable stood for everyday was not what the world considers the most valuable, but was what she knew to be the most important — the people whose life she would change if she wasn’t there the next day.
Suyin Yau, Cassidy’s mother, said Cassidy wasn’t someone whose goal was to be the center of attention wherever she was. She was shy, she was caring and above all, loving. She influenced the lives around her in a positive way everyday. Isabel Delwel, one of Cassidy’s closest friends, said they were best friends since elementary school. Cassidy was a friend that she could count on and she knew that they would remain close friends for the rest of their years together, Delwel said. “Cassidy was trustworthy, strong and empowered, if I was ever nervous about something she would tell me how proud she was of me and was just something most friends don’t say to each other, but she was that kind of person,” Delwel said. Cassidy had many interests where she excelled. She graduated in the top 10 percent of her high school class as a National Hispanic Scholar, was accepted at multiple schools across the nation and often was offered a full-ride to attend those schools, said Suyin. She had a passion for learning and doing well on her studies and wanted to be the best she could be no matter what field she went in to, said Suyin. Sam Burkhalter, Cassidy’s boyfriend, said one of his favorite things about her was the way that she could motivate people. She would often encourage him to do better in school and would compete with each other through grades, Burkhalter said. “She was always determined to do
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Cassidy Venable enjoyed art and photography and constantly motivated her loved ones to be the best they could be.
well in school, we would compete for grades in the classes we had together. She could motivate me to do what I had to do and be the best I could be,” Burkhalter said. “She was always there pushing and supporting me.” Suyin said for relaxation Cassidy loved to travel and photograph where she visited. For her 15th birthday her mother took her to France and Italy, where she saw as much artwork as she could. “I took her to France where she visited all the museums, she loved art and getting to see all the museums made it the best trip she ever had,” Suyin said. Cassidy was part of a military family — she was born in Washington state, grew up in Hawaii and moved to Texas for grade school and later attended Texas A&M. Cassidy played in marching band, where Suyin said she was tenacious, hard working and goal oriented. Her senior year of high school her
marching band was a finalist as one of the top national marching bands. Hadiqa Zafar, one of Cassidy’s closest friends, said she was very focused on whatever she was working towards at that point her life. One of Cassidy’s best qualities was that she put everything into whatever she was doing, said Hadiqa. “She would put 100 percent into the things that she cared about,” Zafar said. “When she loved someone she would surround herself with them, and I loved that about her.” Cassidy’s life was spent motivating those around her. Her friends and family describe her as the kind of person who didn’t need to tell them how she felt about them, because it showed. Although Cassidy’s life was what many consider short, it was not shortlived. Cassidy did in 18 years what some spend a lifetime never doing — loving the ones who loved her.
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The Battalion | 9.6.16
Silver Taps July 31, 1990 — May 26, 2016
ZHONG-HAO CHEN An avid sports fan who put loved ones first come,” William said. “Zhong-Hao told me that he would drive to the airport and pick me up then drive me back. It shows how he cares about others and that is something I really admire about him.” Katrina Wu, Class of 2016, said she got to go know Zhong-Hao after two summer snowboarding trips. She said he loved adventure and was a loyal friend. “He was very supportive to us friends, very adventurous and very athletic,” Wu said. “He also is a very hardworking student who stayed at the library [some] evenings doing homework and projects and he always takes his
By Chris Martin @martin19340
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emembered for his kind spirit, selfless personality and hardworking nature Zhong-Hao Chen actively embodied the Aggie Spirit in everything he did. While pursuing a master’s degree in civil engineering, Zhong-Hao stayed very active in the Taiwanese Students Society, badminton club and basketball. He enjoyed eating at Wingstop, Chick-Fil-A and Chicken Express. He also liked listening to old-Chinese music and loved to sing karaoke. William Chen, Class of 2014, met ZhongHao through mutual friends last September and said Zhong-Hao’s favorite part about A&M was the sports. “He went to most of the sports games if he had time,” William said. “He went to basketball games, he went to a couple football games as well — sports was one of his passions.” Patrick Yu, a computer science senior and close friend of Zhong-Hao, visited ZhongHao’s parents shortly after he died and said he deeply valued their friendship. “After [Zhong-Hao’s death], I went to Taiwan to meet his parents,” Yu said. “They said it’s a disappointment and he had very ambitious dreams that he wanted to conquer. Zhong-Hao is the one that you always think about when you need a friend and when you need comfort. He will come to you first — he is a very caring person.” Oscar Cheng, a chemistry Ph.D. candidate, said he first met Zhong-Hao last May and wanted to be his roommate because he seemed like a very honest and trustworthy man. Cheng said Zhong-Hao truly cared about everyone he met and enjoyed his company. “I would say he’s very positive and his personality spreads to the people around him,” Cheng said. “He always takes care of others — for example when you go out with him, he will always insist to drive, even if he is really tired. I admire his positive mind and the way he encouraged others.” When Cheng met Zhong-Hao’s parents, he said it was evident that he resembled his
“Zhong-Hao is the one that you always think about when you need a friend and when you need comfort. He will come to you first — he is a very caring person.” Patrick Yu, friend
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Zhong-Hao Chen tried to find the adventure in the day-to-day, whether it was playing badminton, watching Aggie sports or spending time with his friends.
father’s personality — very polite and always caring for others. Cheng said his favorite memory with Zhong-Hao was getting furniture soon after they first met. “He was very adventurous and he always wanted to try new things,” Cheng said. “I remember there was a big give-away of furniture at Grace Bible Church for international students. So Zhong-Hao and I went to the church the night before and slept outside.”
William said Zhong-Hao was always there for his friends when they needed him and was really supportive. He remembers a time when Zhong-Hao drove all the way to Houston on a moment’s notice to pick him up from the airport. “There was one time when I was flying back to Houston and one my friends was supposed to pick me up at the airport in Houston but something came up and he couldn’t
friends home after this study. He is like a big brother and very caring.” Jason Lin, computer science Ph.D. candidate, said he got to know Zhong-Hao by playing badminton with him. Jason admired how Zhong-Hao was passionate about his involvements and made time for everything he wanted to do while balancing school. “I was in charge of the badminton club and I didn’t even go to all the practices because I had homework,” Lin said. “He would try to make time for everything he wanted to accomplish and that’s one thing I really learned from him.”
August 19, 1997 — August 20, 2016
ANTON GRIDNEV A loyal friend who found the fun in the ordinary By Katy Stapp @katyxstapp
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hose who knew Anton Gridnev knew it was impossible not to smile after talking to him.
Anton was the kind of person who could make his own fun out of any situation, added his own personal flair to everything he did and most importantly, was always there for his friends when they needed him. Jordan, one of Anton’s fraternity brothers, said it was impossible not to be happy around him. “He was definitely the guy that put a smile on everybody’s face. It was impossible to have a conversation with him and not smirk,” Jordan said. “In some way or the other, either his mannerisms or the lyrics he would quote out of nowhere, or just a casual conversation.” Jack, one of Anton’s fraternity brothers, said one of Anton’s best traits was that he could find the fun in an ordinary situation. “We would always go out and do things together and our whole thing when we’d go out together would be, ‘Don’t try and find where the fun is, don’t try to find where everyone else is having fun, just make it yourself,’” Jack said. “We would do that every weekend; it was a blast.” One of Anton’s favorite hobbies was fixing up cars, Jack said. “He traded cars all of high school. He
would trade cars for a slightly better, but still pretty bad car,” Jack said. “He cherished every car, though. He was really into fixing cars — that was one of his big hobbies. He redid the shocks on his Miata himself.” When he wasn’t fixing up a car, Anton was making his own music. “We were all really into music. [Anton] showed me a lot of stuff and I showed him a lot of stuff,” Jack said. “We would have late night rap battles in the theatre room, and we had a sub — probably a 20-inch sub — in this theatre room that would shake the walls, and Anton would lay down some verse and I’d be like, ‘Anton, that’s garbage, but I like it.’” To his pledge brothers, Anton was the epitome of brotherhood. “People will talk about [brotherhood] when they join a fraternity, but Anton was actually that,” said Nate, one of Anton’s fraternity brothers. “I got to live with him for a little over a month over the summer, and as soon as Jack got off work and everyone was back home for the evening hanging out enjoying each other’s company, Anton just really brought us all together.” Joey, Anton’s fraternity brother, said Anton was a good spirit who didn’t take life too seriously. “Your pledge brothers are supposed to be the closest brothers you have, and I could see how all of them cherished Anton for being the kind of good spirit he was,” Joey said. “At times of seriousness you could never count on Anton to take it too seriously because he was
SILVER TAPS
Letters can be sent to honorees’ families While students attending Silver Taps are silent, they may offer their condolences to the families of the deceased Aggies by writing a letter. Each time a Silver Taps is held, the Tradition Council collects letters written by students who wish to express their sympathies and then mails the handwritten notes to the families. Booths will be available in many of campus’
high-traffic areas Tuesday with pens, stationery and suggestions on what to include in a letter. Additionally, there is a letter drop-off box located in Academic Plaza where students can place their letters. There is also a platform online, found at Tx.Ag/TapsLetters, where students may submit a note virtually. — Staff Report
just a mellow guy that didn’t let things trouble him or bother him.” Joey said Anton inspired his friends to not be afraid to be weird. “He was the kind of person who could take a normal situation and put his own stamp on it,” Joey said. “He would inspire others to try to be as weird as he was and give everyone their own sense of originality.” Emily Pfeiffer, Anton’s Fish Camp DG mom, said one of her favorite things about Anton was how fiercely devoted he was to the people in his life. She said that devotion showed at a DG hangout at IHOP, when Anton walked through the rain to meet his Fish Camp friends. “Sure enough, Anton arrived about 45 minutes later smiling and drenched from the rain,” Pfeiffer said. “He had walked all the way to IHOP from his event just to spend an hour with our DG. That’s something I will always remember and admire about Anton. I feel lucky to have known that smile.” Jack said despite Anton’s happy-go-lucky nature, the one thing he never failed to take seriously was being there for his friends when they needed him. “Make no mistake, no matter how carefree he was, if we came to him with a problem, he was always willing to sit down and listen and provide advice,” Jack said. “We would talk about our next four years, what we’re doing after college and give each other advice and just listen to each other.” Joey said while talking about Anton with
SILVER TAPS CONTINUED echoing sound of gunshots breaking the heavy silence on the first Tuesday of each month. They’re someone’s child, niece or nephew, best friend. They’re an Aggie. Talking to the loved ones of Silver Taps honorees has been a transformational experience for me. It has taught me that my time on Earth isn’t measured by the accomplishments I make, but by the lives I touch. And each and every time I stand with my fellow Aggies in Academic Plaza, I am reminded of the fact that the
one of his friends, his friend showed him a quote that Joey thought perfectly described the kind of person Anton was.
“He would inspire others to try to be as weird as he was and give everyone their own sense of originality.” Joey, fraternity brother
“The quote is, ‘There he goes, one of God’s own prototypes, a high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass reproduction. Too weird to live, and too weird to die,’” Joey said. “It’s hard to put Anton into words, but I thought that did a pretty good job.” Some last names have been omitted from this article. Additionally, his family requested that no photo be included with the article.
world is different because of the lives of the people we’re standing for. It’s easy to find excuses not to go to Silver Taps. I have a test tomorrow. I didn’t get much sleep last night. I live off campus and traffic and parking will be awful. But I guarantee the inconveniences you may face in coming to Silver Taps do not come close to the difficulties the families and friends of the seven people being honored Tuesday night have and continue to face. If Tuesday will be your first Silver Taps ceremony — whether you’re a freshman or a senior — I encourage you to really listen to the silence and
think about what standing in the plaza for half an hour may mean to the people who are also standing there, but standing for a loved one they’ve lost. I may not have known Monisha, Jack, Zhong-Hao, Alexander, Anton, Callie or Cassidy personally. But, as the saying goes, attending Silver Taps is the least I can do and the most I can give. Here. Sam King is a communication senior and editor-in-chief for The Battalion.
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The Battalion | 9.6.16
Silver Taps Feb. 23, 1993 — March 25, 2016
ALEXANDER “ALEX” DENMARK CLARKE A loving son with a passion for travel and food Brendan Blass, Alex’s younger half-brother, said he remembers late nights playing video games with his older half-brother. “We would be up until 12 or 1 in the morning just playing Xbox. It carried out until I saw him before he passed away. We always played Xbox,” Blass said. “It’s something I always thought about. Even after all the years, we would still hang out and have our time.” Heather said Alex embodied the Aggie Spirit, before and during his time at Texas A&M. His search for knowledge and his willingness to listen were qualities his family admired.
By Chevall Pryce @ChevallP
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lexander “Alex” Denmark Clarke was always on the search for knowledge, whether it was about the exotic foods he’d eaten in China and Italy or just picking the brain of a cousin he hadn’t seen in awhile. Alex, a university studies senior, traveled as often as he could and had a knack for exploration. His mother, Heather Clarke, said he always tried to give new cultures and traditions a chance. His love of food followed him across the globe, allowing him to taste test dishes from anywhere he could make it. “He’s been able to do quite a few things. He’s been to Italy, he went to China with his family for two weeks and got to experience the culture and the food,” Heather said. “He was always talking about food and trying different things.” Alex’s family agreed on one thing for certain: Alex loved food. He liked cooking food, trying food and just eating whatever he could get his hands on. Heather said for Alex, it wasn’t necessarily the food itself, but the experience that he loved most. “He liked to cook. He hated to clean up, but he liked to cook. He loved going over to his grandmother’s house to cook and spending time with his family,” Heather said. “He liked to visit his family all of the time and hang out. He was planning to move back and be with his family after graduation.” Maryann Wingo, Alex’s grandmother, said she remembers cooking for Alex every time he came to visit. Wingo said she remembers making him Italian food, omelettes with everything in them, shrimp and anything Alex wanted. “When he was 16 we decided to take him to New York … Every street we went on he had to have a hot dog from the vendors with the yellow umbrellas,” Wingo said. “By the time we were halfway through the day he had
“It gives me one of the greatest joys to talk about that young man. Honest to God, what a wonderful human being. I think about him every day.”
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Alex Clarke loved food, traveling and searching for knowledge, but above all, he loved his family.
had eight hot dogs with sauerkraut.” During his trip to Hong Kong with his great aunt and great uncle, Claudia Sloane and Tim Sloane, Alex was able to reconnect with his cousins while enjoying his passion for exotic cuisine and travel. His quick wit and dry sense of humor shined bright in the pictures he took during his time in Hong Kong. “He was funny as all get out. There was always a level of intelligence behind his humor. Very rye. He had this sly sense of humor,” Claudia said. “It gives me one of the greatest joys to talk about that young man. Honest to God, what a wonderful human being. I think about him every day.” While the trip was meant to reconnect his adopted cousin to her home country, Alex used the trip to break out of his shell and remember every moment with his family. “He had a wonderful time with my old-
er daughter Megan. They were like brother and sister, goofing around, having a good ol’ time,” Tim said. “I remember one particular moment when we were in a Buddha area and they had a shop full of ceramic cats and a giant cat outside. They were making goofy poses, and cat noises and staring down the big cat statue.” Tim said Alex was always interested in people, their lives and their dreams. Alex was inquisitive and investigative without trying to sway someone to another side. “Alex challenged every preconceived notion that you might talk to him about. Not in a confrontational way, but in a curious way,” Tim said. “In a very intellectual and drilling way he would ask, ‘Okay, let’s think about that,’ not to change your mind but to understand how you arrived at your own conclusions.’”
Claudia Sloane, great aunt
“Unfortunately, he didn’t get his [Aggie] Ring. We were waiting until he graduated to get it,” Heather said. “I ended up buying it, so I’m wearing his ring.” Brooke Fish, Alex’s aunt, said she thinks about Alex every day. “Alex was a sweet kid who was loved dearly by his family. We all miss him every day. He joins his Grandpa ‘Pop’ in heaven,” Fish said. “He was [his mom’s] only child and will be missed beyond measure by his mom and the rest of us. There is a great hole that his love and humor once filled.”
Nov. 10, 1991 — April 13, 2016
MONISHA SANGEETH BORUGADDA A hard worker always eager to help a friend
in return, she would just do that for us … kindness was a huge thing,” Ramanathan said. Monisha was a determined individual who would put everything into her goals, Ramanathan said. She worked hard, landed a great job
By Brad Canon @BradCanon1
M
onisha Borugadda was a hard-working, determined and caring person who impacted the lives of everyone that she met. Born in India, Monisha came to the United States to study computer and electrical engineering at Texas A&M. Monisha was someone who would be happy to do anyone a favor — not because it was the right thing to do, but because she genuinely wanted to serve those around her, said Aparajith Thirumala, a student and close friend of Monisha. “You don’t find people who are genuinely happy to do things for people, but she would actually be happy to do it, even for her own birthday she got gifts for everyone that had come,” Thirumala said. The best thing about Monisha was that she was caring and always looking out for her friends and how their lives were going, Thirumala said. “She was caring and always took the time to make sure everyone was happy and doing okay,” Thirumala said. “She would come and talk to you about what was going on and was wrong, and give them some advice.” Anirudh Ramanathan, a close friend of Monisha, said before Monisha he would just take care of himself and take care of whatever needed to be done. But, being around Monisha was really nice because of how caring
“She wanted to make sure everyone was happy; she taught us how to look for happiness and look out for other people’s well being.” Anirudh Ramanathan, friend
PROVIDED
Monisha Borugadda sought to bring happiness to the lives of her family and friends.
she was. It was something he never had, said Ramanathan. She was someone who taught people how to look for happiness and watch out for others’ well being, Thirumala said. “She wanted to make sure everyone was happy; she taught us how to look for happiness and look out for other people’s well being,” Thirumala said.
Ramanathan said they have been friends since they both moved to the United States from India for school and they became close because she lived just a few doors down. She was so kind and would cook for us and would do favors for others with no expectations from anyone, Ramanathan said. “She used to come over all the time, she was so kind and make food for everyone, without any expectation of getting something
and would put hours of her time into studies on campus, Ramanathan said. “If she set her mind on something, whether it was finals week or an interview, she would go all out and be at the Memorial Student Center for hours,” Ramanathan said. Ramanthan said their relationship was ineffable. When asked to describe what Monisha meant to him, he couldn’t. “I don’t know if I have the words for that,” Ramanathan said.
Here.
SILVERTAPS
5
The Battalion | 9.6.16
Silver Taps May 24, 1995 – April 22, 2016
CALLIE EMILY SISK An aspiring educator with a big heart discussion of the migratory patterns of coconuts and she had a go-to joke as well, Kruse said. “‘Have you ever heard of the Mexican train killer? They said he had loco-motives,’” Kruse said. “That was a pretty classic one that Callie would always go with.” Kruse said he and Callie shared a love of similar music and she got him interested in a small British band she heard about while abroad in Europe the summer before last.
By Gracie Mock @g_mock2
C
allie Emily Sisk had a caring heart that was shown through her love of Monty Python, obscure British music and in the children she taught during her Junior Methods class.
Callie was considered a “wild spirit” by her friend and former downstairs neighbor Wes Kruse, management and information systems senior. “Nothing in God’s name would ever hold her back,” Kruse said. “Pretty much, if there was something she wanted to do, she just went out and did it. She was an amazing people person ... She just really cared about everything.” Kruse said Callie’s drive to do everything would sometimes frustrate her and he had to remind her to take a step back and relax. “She was always wanting to do something, always kind of all over the place and we were kind of on the same wavelength so we got along pretty well,” Kruse said. Being involved on campus was important to Callie and she was able to combine that with her love of children by being a member of the group Aggies Read. “They went around and would read children’s books to schools in Bryan,” Kruse said. “She had a lot of fun with that organization. She was like, ‘Wes, Wes, Wes, my kids, they’re just crazy today and one of them told me, “Oh, I really like you Ms. Sisk,” and I was like “Oh, I really like you too, Jordan.”’ And so she’d always be really pumped about dealing with kids.” Callie completed her Junior Methods program with Gayle Bruno at Bonham Elementary in Bryan. “Callie was a very dedicated educator,” Bruno said in the comments section of Callie’s obituary. “She came to my classroom ready to work and help the students be the best they could be everyday. She was a born educator.”
“Nothing in God’s name would ever hold her back. Pretty much, if there was something she wanted to do, she just went out and did it.” Wes Kruse, friend and former neighbor
PROVIDED
Callie Sisk loved working with children and was studying to become a teacher.
Maeson Mondrik, interdisciplinary studies senior, said in the comments section of Callie’s obituary that they will remember Callie for the positivity that she brought to the Junior Methods class the two shared. “Callie always had a smile on her face and she was continually bringing positive energy to our classroom,” Mondrik said in the comments. “She would have been a wonderful teacher and impacted children’s lives for the better. It was a pleasure knowing her and I
will always remember her for her positive attitude.” Callie loved the movie “Monty Python” and when she found out Wes had not seen it, she sat him down to watch it together. “It was funny because she’d say all the jokes like five minutes ahead of it and I was like ‘Dammit, Callie, stop spoiling all the jokes for me,’ and she was like ‘Sorry, sorry.’ Kruse said. Her favorite scene from the movie was the
“She was really into a small British band, not very popular, definitely like one of those things you can’t find on iTunes, one of those really obscure, underground English things — ‘Kings of Convenience,’” Wes said. “A weird band, but she was a pretty big fan of it.” Kruse said Callie had too big of a heart and cared about everything and everyone. “She just cared about literally everything, just had opinions on absolutely everything and she would be the first person to tell you ‘This is how I feel about this,’”Kruse said. “It was always great talking with her, very talkative, very energetic and a good person.”
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BED AND BREAKFAST Romantic Getaways & Engagements, secluded cabin suites. All Day, All Night. www.7flodge.com 979-690-0073.
CHILD CARE Child care needed for family, call 361-563-8214 for more information. Looking for sitters with a passion for children and a love of working out. Child care volunteers get FREE CrossFit! Email LStrain@bcssitters.com
FOR RENT 2 blocks from campus, 4bd/3ba, updated kitchen, remodeled granite/marble countertops, $575-675 per room, 979-229-7440.
When
to call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day
FOR RENT 3 blocks from campus, 3bd/2ba, updated kitchen, granite/marble countertops, $575-675 per room, 979-229-7440. 2bd/2ba Oak Creek condominiums, 2320 Jaguar Dr, Bryan. $700/mo, newly remodeled, W/D, pets ok, Free cable/internet, 4untis available, 979-595-2801 ext4. 3 months free rent at the brand new Retreat Apts!!! Take over a years lease!!! 8/19-7/31. On the shuttle route. Private bedroom and bathroom. Fully furnished. Rent $714/mo. Please text or call 281-734-4177. Dorm room at The Callaway House for the 2016/2017 school year, Price greatly reduced!! 770-403-6335.
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$10 for 20 words running 5 days, if your merchandise is priced $1,000 or less (price must appear in ad). This rate applies only to non-commercial advertisers offering personal possessions for sale. Guaranteed results or you get an additional 5 days at no charge. If item doesn’t sell, advertiser must call before 1 p.m. on the day the ad is scheduled to end to qualify for the 5 additional insertions at no charge. No refunds will be made if your ad is cancelled early.
FOR RENT Large selection of 3-2 duplexes. Pick yours now, starting at $995. Ready to go. Laminate and ceramic flooring, all appliances. Close to campus. See now. On Line Real Estate 979-268-8620.
HELP WANTED Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $100-$200/hr, up to $1000/day. No experience. aggieresponse@gmail.com
HELP WANTED Baptist church needs nursery workers for Sunday mornings and evenings and Wednesday evenings. Please call Mary at 979-776-5000 or email mary@christsway.org Busy Development company in Cayman Islands, seeking graduate familiar with BIM and construction processes. Contact Ian@davenport.ky or 354-926-7825.
HELP WANTED Camp For All in Burton is seeking weekend staff to provide exciting programs for our campers. Check out campforall.org for more information and the application. Once hired, staff will go through orientation the weekend of September 16-18. Career Apparel now hiring retail sales position P/T. Apply in person 4001 E. 29th #82. 979-260-2727. Cheddar's and Fish Daddy's now accepting applications. Apply within, University Dr. Cleaning commercial buildings at night, M-F. Call 979-823-5031 for interview.
HELP WANTED Website design help needed for a small business website. 979-2403812 Wish to hire hard-working student to promote new, live, interactive FREE sports app to be launched this fall. Contact Dr. Miller at 832-922-8119 or 281-3706911.
REAL ESTATE Southwood Valley 3/2/2, granite, cul-de-sac, $168,000. Team Mcgrann TAMU'93 Civil Engineering 979-739-2035/777-6211, Town&Country Realty, Hablamos Espanol!
Come drive for Uber and receive up to $25 when you signup in B/CS, 21orOrder, contact 979-422-2557. https://partners.uber.com/i/268K4q mbue Gardeners needed for SSC Grounds at Texas A&M University. Strong work ethic required. Experience not necessary. $10-12 per hour DOE plus full benefits package. Drug free. Background check required. SSC Facilities Service 600 Agronomy Rd. CS, TX 77843.
read the fine print.
Help needed clearing a weed-infested garden. One day job. $10 per hour. Call 979-587-2257. Immediate opening for math instructor, all elves including Pre-Algebra, AlgebraI, AlgebraII, Geometry, as well as SAT, ACT, and other Sylvan programs. Science a plus. Late afternoons and evenings Monn-Thurs and Saturdays. Call Sylvan 979-846-4988. Little Caesars Pizza now hiring pizza makers, apply in person at either Southwest Parkway or Boonville location. Part-time receptionist, $8.50, 1-8 Tuesday, Thursday, every other Saturday 9-1. Contact David Barrett 979-774-2603.
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BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL! $
3 OFF HAIRCUT
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not valid with any other offer 222 n. main, downtown bryan (979) 822-2675 www.theplaceforitalian.com
PPD Hats NP Battalion 800_v1.pdf
755,888
USER SESSIONS UNIQUE USERS PAGEVIEWS
Should any student be unable to make the specified times on campus they can contact Specialties directly to set up a complimentary in-studio appointment at 979-696-9898. It’s your yearbook. Be in it. 1
7/20/16
Any graduating seniors who wish to set up a cap/gown photo will need to contact the studio at 979-696-9898. Cap/Gown sessions cost $21.95. 2:38 PM
FALL 2014
91,318
166,239
89,480
270,982 SPRING 2014
44,631
2:39 PM
10,794
7/20/16
25,797
1
13,400
404,854
*data from May 2016
Specialties Photography will be set up to have your FREE portrait taken for Texas A&M University’s 2017 Aggieland yearbook. No appointment necessary! ALL CLASSES will be in the yearbook. Photos are taken at the SANDERS CORPS MUSEUM LIBRARY!
some asteroids. NASA, who is advising the team, will use the software to plan and simulate entire missions virtually in order to test for issues, which — without the software — are unpredictable. “Virtual reality gives you a new perspective on what you’re building,” said Robert Hogan, first year graduate student and master architect for SpaceCRAFT. Gregory Chamitoff, former astronaut and current director of the AeroSpace Technology Research and Operations (ASTRO) Center, spent 198 days in space and said that it’s critical to know how a system is going to be used operationally at the time of design to maintain efficiency and ensure it will work. “The purpose of SpaceCRAFT is to make it possible to simulate, evaluate and optimize integrated system designs in an operational context before actually building any hardware,” Chamitoff said. The engineers entering models into the SpaceCRAFT system will have to factor in many aspects of the environment, such as pressure, temperature, sun, humidity, wind and so on, according to Chamitoff, in order to predict how a the real physical version of the model will perform in its given environ-
MAROONLINK USAGE
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platform with just a few planets, such as Earth and potentially Mars, as well as
ment. The team has been working on the project since spring of 2016, creating the basic architecture of the program to ensure that it accurately reflects reality. “The project that we’re working on might be the cornerstone for the future,” said Neil McHenry, aerospace engineering graduate student. “If I’m going to be an astronaut in the future, all this stuff is directly helping me make sure wherever my home is — maybe Mars or something — is designed well and it’s safe.” McHenry said he believes SpaceCRAFT and its software will bring the next surge in technology that will have a global impact on all disciplines, not just those headed to Mars. “[SpaceCRAFT software will] enable everyone who wants to in the world to have a role, to contribute to the design of humanity’s future in space,” Chamitoff said. “People are thinking about this, and the ability for people to think and share their thoughts and collaborate wherever they are in the world — that’s what this is about.” Chamitoff said the purpose of SpaceCRAFT is for people across the globe to contribute to designing the future. “If all goes well and humanity survives all the problems we have on Earth today, we’re going to expand out into the solar system,” Chamitoff said. “How that transpires, and how we design that future, is something that we have a capability to simulate in a virtual universe before we actually do it, and figure out how to do it right.”
1,034,234
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said the release date for the software will be in 2017, but it will start out as a basic
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The Battalion | 9.6.16
SPACECRAFT CONTINUED
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MAROONLINK CONTINUED that needed to know information,” Ann Goodman said. Charles Durr, sociology senior and Director of Risk Management of Fish Camp, said MaroonLink has been a useful resource for his organization and a step up from the old system of doing everything individually. “I use it for important forms such as road trip and day trip forms because our chairs are able to go in and fill out these forms that are seven to 10 pages long sometimes and attach information, attach maps, attach their own excel spreadsheets with all their individual camp information,” Durr said. Allyson Goodman, director of administration with Aggie Transition Camps, said her favorite feature within MaroonLink is the Cork App, which enables organizations to send out text messages to members. “We’ve had room changes before and so we’re just able to send out a text message when we are in a different room and everyone is guaranteed to get it and it’s no hassle,” Allyson Goodman said. “You don’t have to worry about trying to pass it
down and play a game of telephone, everyone gets it on their mobile device and you know they are checking it.” Ann Goodman said MaroonLink also offers additional features for students such as a personal profile, which allows students to track their engagement and print out an extracurricular transcript. Durr said he was surprised with how important MaroonLink has become for his organization. “It’s been a lot of fun to see it develop over the past two years, because I do remember when it was its very first year,” Durr said. “We were told, ‘Hey you are going to go to MaroonLink and you are going to sign up and you are going to use it’ and hardly anyone paid attention to it. Now we are utilizing it; I utilize it almost every day.” Durr said he expects the usage of MaroonLink to continue to grow as the word gets out. “We as an organization are still understanding where things can go how different aspects of this can be utilized,” Durr said. “I’m very positive that next year’s director staff is going to utilize it a lot and they are going to integrate it very well, and I’m almost positive that they are going to really be showing the freshman class this is a resource.”
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Monday’s edition of The Battalion stated that Saturday’s win over UCLA was the first victory over a ranked non-conference opponent since 1989. The correct statistic is that it was the Aggie’s first home win against a ranked non-conference opponent since 1989. Additionally, a statement in the article “‘Boneheads’ over Kyle Field” said the F-22 Raptor jets used for the flyover flew at twice the speed of light. This is not possible. The correct information is that the jets flew at twice the speed of sound. We apologize for any confusion these errors may have caused and encourage further feedback.
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