WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA
On the road again
Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION
Sophomore guard Jay Jay Chandler went 3-of-5 in field goal attempts against No. 1 Tennessee on Feb. 2.
A&M Men’s basketball looks to prove itself against Ole Miss during Wednesday matchup in Oxford By Brian Bass @brianbass4 Despite a two-game losing streak against No.19 LSU and No.1 Tennessee, the Texas A&M men’s basketball team is looking to turn the season around with a win on the road
against the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday. The Aggies are currently 8-12 overall and 1-7 in the SEC, while the Rebels are 14-7 and 4-4 in conference play. A&M has an away game record of 1-3, with its only conference victory coming from a road game against Alabama on Jan. 12. “I feel like we’re just locked in [on the road],” sophomore guard TJ Starks said. “I try to bring [my teammates] together ... and let them know it’s us against the world. That’s how BASKETBALL ON PG. 3
BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS Students and staff observe Black History Month through a multitude of events held throughout February. Officially recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976, Black History Month has since been celebrated yearly throughout the U.S. and beyond. MSC WBAC and the Black Student Alliance Council are hosting events this month to celebrate. Below is the list of events, which can also be found on the Texas A&M Multicultural Services website. February 7 6 p.m. — MSC Black History Month Bingo presented by The Bush School Diversity & Inclusion Committee 8:30 p.m. — Rec Center 281 Black to Business presented by NAACP February 8 6 p.m. — Zachry Engineering Building Dinner Celebration: The History of Soul Food presented by Access and Inclusion Program College of Engineering & National Society for Black Engineers (NSBE) February 11 6 p.m. — MSC 2300, Bethancourt Ballroom Afro-Latinx Festival in Aggieland presented by MSC WBAC & MSC CAMAC February 12 3 p.m. — Evans Library 204E Slavery By Another Name: Viewing & Discussion presented by Texas A&M Libraries 5 p.m. — Rudder Tower 402 Erasing Queens of Color: The Past, Present & Future of Drag presented by GLBT Resource Center 6 p.m. — Zachry Engineering Building How African Americans Have Influenced the Field of STEM & Engineering presented by Access and Inclusion Program College of Engineering & National Society for Black Engineers (NSBE) February 13 4 p.m. — Glasscock 311 Reading Imperium in Imperio in the Context of Sutton E. Grigg’s Experiences in Texas and Virgina presented by Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanitites Research 5:30 p.m. — Rudder 410 Do You See What I See? A Discussion About Blacks in the Media presented by MSC WBAC February 16 10 a.m. — Rec Center 1130 State of the Black Aggie Symposium presented by BSAC February 20 2 p.m. — Rudder Plaza Flint Demonstration presented by NAACP 4 p.m. — MSC 2300A · Registration Required Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland – Film Screening and Dialogue presented by Multicultural Services, Office of Diversity, MSC Aggie Cinema, BSAC, MSC WBAC, Lambda Lambda Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority February 22 7 p.m. — Hilton College Station Annual Appreciation Banquet presented by African American National Heritage Society
LIFE & ARTS
PROVIDED
Olivia Treadwell — THE BATTALION
Thrift shopping at stores like Plato’s Closet is popular among students.
Sophomore Reagan Werner and senior Madison Paul lead the technology portion of Ready, Set, Write!
Thrifty threads in B-CS Writing study benefits Bryan students Students discuss local spots to buy clothes on a budget By Kenedi Kruger @kenedikrug College Station may be a relatively small town, but if you look close enough, you’ll find some quality thrift stores. Thrift shopping is popular at Texas A&M and among college students in general, as they are looking for opportunities to look great while saving money. Whether you are looking for a quick shopping trip close to home or an afternoon exploring stores downtown with friends, there are options available. Here are a few of the most popular places in College Station and Bryan that every resident should keep on their thrift shop radar.
Market 1023 Downtown Bryan is full of vintage and resale stores, including Market 1023 on North Main Street. It primarily sells home goods, but telecommunication junior Karsen Morgan said students can find quality clothing items near the back of the store. Morgan said Market 1023 caught her eye when she was across the street at a coffee shop with a friend. “Everything they have is in good shape most of the time, and they actually have a decent collection of clothes,” Morgan said. “I do like the location for it being in Downtown Bryan. It’s away from the business of College Station and not a lot of people seem to be there when shopping, so it’s pretty laid back and enjoyable to look around and doesn’t feel rushed.” Market 1023 might be one of THRIFT ON PG. 3
Researchers from A&M College of Education test advantages of teaching with technology By Katie James @kaytayjames Texas A&M professors are exploring the applications of technology in elementary school classrooms. The research program Ready, Set, Write! compares traditional teaching methods to programs that use apps to teach struggling second-grade writers. Associate professors Li-Jen Kuo and Quentin Dixon from the department of teaching, learning and culture started a 10-week program with students from three Bryan ISD schools — Fannin, Henderson and Bonham Elementary. One school received intervention in the form of traditional writing instruction, one school supplemented their education with speech-to-text, spell check and drawing apps, while the final school was the control group. The study ran for the first time from November 2017 to March 2018 and repeated in fall 2018. The control group will receive the intervention with tech-
nology this semester after all data has been collected, so that the experiment is not interrupted and students can still benefit from the technological improvements that were utilized. “We chose second grade because there is a lot less research on the writing process in the lower grade levels,” Dixon said. “We wanted to take a look at an under-researched area and see if intervening at an early stage would have beneficial effects, making the children better prepared for additional writing instruction later on.” At Henderson — the school that implemented technological teaching methods — the students spent 90 minutes, twice per week rotating through three centers designed to improve vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. Doctoral student and graduate research assistant Stephanie Moody designed the curriculum used in each after-school intervention. “The biggest challenge we ran into was the apps themselves,” Moody said. “The developers think they know how to make apps for children, but they don’t, especially for English Language Learners. The voice detecting feature will not always pick up the words of WRITE ON PG. 4
LIFE&ARTS
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The Battalion | 2.6.19
REPUBLIC OF TEXAS FESTIVAL COLLEGE STATION, TX
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STARTING NEXT WEEK! GET YOUR PHOTO TAKEN FOR THE 2019 AGGIELAND! AR Photography will be set up to have your FREE portrait taken for Texas A&M University’s 2019 Aggieland. ALL CLASSES: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Feb. 4 - 6 & Feb. 11 - 13 in the Sanders Corp Museum Library 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.
AGGIELAND 2018
here
Texas A&M University Vol. 116
2018 AGGIELAND The 2018 Aggieland are here and it’s not to late to buy your copy. The 116th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook is a photojournalistic record of the 2017-2018 school year
Keagan Miller says “You” explores the pathology of a stalker.
New Netflix show keeps viewers conflicted “You” creates tension through protagonist’s contradicting actions Keagan Miller
T
@KeaganMlr
he first episode of “You” opens with a voice-over. The main character starts talking directly to the audience. Right off the bat, this left a bad impression. Extended voice-overs are typically a big no-no when it comes to television and film. As a rule, it’s better to show than to tell. As the opening scene progressed I grew more and more disdainful of the main character, Joe, and the show in general. Joe spouts pseudo-intellectual nonsense, arrogantly talking about books and romance in a way that made me want to slap him. From the very first scene, I was ready to hate the show. But then something crazy happened. It was quickly revealed that Joe is a stalker. From that moment on, I looked at the show in a completely different light. It doesn’t condone Joe’s self-involved ramblings, it condemns them. Immediately, I went from rolling my eyes to sitting in rapt attention. The show
is an exploration of the pathology of a stalker. Viewed in this light, everything I originally hated about the show becomes brilliant. Joe’s hopeless self-obsession, the way he incessantly talks to the audience or to the woman he’s stalking in his head, and the subtle creepy undertones that seep from actor Penn Badgley’s performance all serve the show in almost unimaginable ways. I went into the show already hating it, and within minutes it had maneuvered itself in such a way seemingly pitted my hatred and disdain against me. “You” counts on its audience to feel uneasy around its main character. It introduces him as a hopeless romantic, and even allows you to believe that for a while. The entire show is viewed through his perspective, his inner voice, the narrator. As such, Joe the stalker almost seems relatable and almost... almost likeable. But whenever he does something nice, like helping a kid from a bad household, he turns around and does something insane, like sneaking into the house of a stranger to spy on her. And after he does something insane, he turns
around and does something ingratiating again. It leaves the audience in the uncomfortable position of not knowing how to feel about the man, and it does so beautifully and tactfully. It is especially uncomfortable that Joe embodies the typical “nice guy” character that romantic movies so often focus on. If you’re not careful, you can almost forget that you’re supposed to be rooting against this guy. One line from the first episode was particularly interesting. Hiding behind the shower curtain of the woman he’s stalking while she stands unaware just inches away, Joe says to the audience “I’m not worried. I’ve seen enough romantic comedies to know that guys are always getting out of jams like this.” This masterfully written line hits home the point that under slightly different circumstances, Joe would be considered the hero of the story. The fact that he shouldn’t be is what makes this fascinating and devious show worth watching. Keagan Miller is a psychology junior and Life & Arts columnist for The Battalion.
Go Online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613 to make your purchase. $75.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee) Come by office L400 of the MSC and skip the mail fee charge.
Don’t forget to also preorder your copy of the 2019 Aggieland yearbook. The 117th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook. Distribution will be the Fall 2019.
PROVIDED
The six films which comprise the Wild Texas Film Tour focus on wildlife, conservation and adventure.
A&M welcomes Wild Texas Film Tour Former students’ work featured in travelling conservation event Megan Rodriguez, Editor-in-Chief Luke Henkhaus, Managing Editor Jordan Burnham, News Editor Sanna Bhai, Asst. News Editor Henry Mureithi, Asst. News Editor Kathryn Whitlock, Life & Arts Editor Hannah Falcon, Life & Arts Editor Samantha Mahler, Life & Arts Editor
Angel Franco, Sports Editor Abigail Ochoa, Sports Editor Cassie Stricker, Photo Chief Meredith Seaver, Asst. Photo Chief Daoud Qamar, Video Editor Kevin Christman, Video Editor Jane Turchi, Special Sections Editor
THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the 2019 spring semester (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 StudentAffairs.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.
By Savannah Mehrtens @SJMehrtens The Wild Texas Film Tour has been making its way across the Lone Star State, and this Thursday, it’s coming to Aggieland. The tour is a series composed of six short films covering Texas wildlife and conservation such as a veteran who found solace through hunting and the return of the desert bighorn in West Texas. The tour started in Dallas on Jan. 15 and will end on March 1 in Corpus Christi. Katy Baldock, an associate producer of the Wild Texas Film Tour and Class of 2017, said the films will be about adventure, wildlife and conservation. “It’s multiple short films in a program with speakers, so we’ll show one short film and then it will be a speaker Q&A with someone who was involved with making the film or someone who was a character in the film, and then we’ll show another,” Baldock said. Hillary Pierce, a producer of the tour, said their team tried to do a mix
of both major cities and smaller towns to have a broad base of viewers who may be interested in the topics covered by the films. “We actually started to come back to a lot of the venues that worked really well the first time,” Pierce said. “We tried to do a mix of getting the major metropolitan areas like Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas while also going to smaller places [like Marfa and Nacogdoches].” The films help showcase positive stories about wildlife and conservation efforts conducted in Texas, according to Pierce. “It’s about bringing positive conservation stories to urban audiences and to some of the people where this conservation work in being done in their backyard and in some cases they don’t even realize it, ” Pierce said. Pierce said it was important to highlight people who work in conservation and the volunteers who offer their support — as is the case in the desert bighorn film. “There are groups like Stewards of the Wild, which is a young professionals organization that’s affiliated with Texas Parks and Wildlife foundation,” Pierce said. “They provided a lot of the
hands-on, folks on the ground for these desert bighorn relocation projects.” Ben Masters, wildlife filmmaker and Class of 2012, said the event is a great opportunity to watch films about Texas wildlife and interact with people involved in conservation. Four of the six films were made by Masters. He said they varied in the amount of production time each took, but he shot them across the state of Texas. “They involve a lot of different stuff,” Masters said. “One of them is the hunting film, one of them is the wildlife reintroduction… there’s something for everybody.” Austin Alvarado, Class of 2014, is starring in one of the films and was also in the recent full-length documentary, “The River and The Wall.” Alvarado will be attending the tour stop in College Station. “It’s a bunch of Aggies taking over wildlife film making,” Masters said. Thursday’s screening will take place in Rudder Theatre at 7 p.m. Tickets and additional tour dates are available online at WildFilmTour.com Editor’s Note: Katy Baldock is a former social media editor for The Battalion
NEWS
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The Battalion | 2.6.19
Paul Burke — THE BATTALION
Sophomore guard Savion Flagg scored 14 points and went 2-for-3 in free throws against No. 1 Tennessee on Feb. 2 at Reed Arena.
BASKETBALL CONTINUED we feel.” After winning only one game in the last six matchups, A&M head coach Billy Kennedy said being consistent throughout both halves is essential. “Forty minutes,” Kennedy said. “We’ve had some possessions where we’re so tired that we’re resting on the defensive end. We’ve got to play with a sense of urgency and finish off possessions on the defensive end.” However, the Aggies aren’t the only ones
THRIFT CONTINUED the further stores from campus, but it has an exciting atmosphere and classic clothes to offer. Goodwill on Texas Avenue There are a few Goodwill locations around the area, including one on the corner of Lawrence Street and Texas Avenue in Bryan. This
looking to bounce back. After starting perfectly in conference play with a 4-6 record, the Rebels have lost four straight games since Jan. 22. In that stretch, Ole Miss also lost its top 25 ranking. It will be a challenge for A&M to fend off the Ole Miss offense. Junior guard Breein Tyree, senior guard Terence Davis and sophomore guard Devontae Shuler play the most minutes on the team and all shoot at least 40 percent from the three-point line, making perimeter defense a priority in the matchup. “They’re playing really well at shooting from the three-point line,” Kennedy said.
“We’re going to have to do a better job at defending the perimeter.” In addition to the Rebels’ dangerous perimeter shooting, they are shooting 54 percent from the floor. A&M saw five players in double digits Saturday during its 93-76 loss to No.1 Tennessee. Junior guard Wendell Mitchell led the way with 18 points and five rebounds, with junior forward Savion Flagg not far behind, recording 14 points and six rebounds. Where the Aggies have found the most success is in the paint. A&M ranks 47th in offensive rebound percentage, according to
NCAA.com. Players like junior forward Josh Nebo, senior forward Christian Mekowulu and senior guard and forward Savion Flagg, who have 132 combined rebounds this season, will have to continue to dominate the boards on both ends to pick up the win. “I know they play very fast, up-tempo,” Starks said. “If we just step up and get a high hand on the three-point line and run them off the three-point line and stay in the drives, I think we’ve got a good chance to win it.” The Aggies take on the Rebels on Wednesday at The Pavilion in Oxford, Mississippi. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on SEC Network.
store is close to campus, and chemical engineering sophomore Elizabeth Bik said it is one of her favorites. “It has some pretty good finds,” Bik said. “You have to go periodically, like go after holidays. That’s usually when it’s the best.” Elizabeth said she likes the earring selection at this Goodwill, and she typically finds other impressive items as well.
Plato’s Closet Found in the Post Oak Square off of Harvey road, Plato’s Closet is well known for its vast selection and encouraging customers to bring in their own gently-used clothing in exchange for cash. Accounting junior and frequent customer Katie Carter said Plato’s Closet is a favorite store of hers because of the affordable prices
and quality clothes. “My favorite thing about Plato’s Closet is all the clothes are really reasonably priced and all in good condition,” Carter said. “They have casual to fancy-casual clothes, so anywhere from workout clothes to date night clothes.” Carter said she loves Plato’s Closet and is happy to see thrift shops becoming increasingly popular.
classifieds
Place an ad Phone 979.845.0569 Suite L400, Memorial Student Center Texas A&M University
FOR RENT
When to call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day
FOR RENT
2bd/2ba cozy condo 3-blocks from campus, fenced backyard, w/d connections, new ceramic tile, over 1000sqft, no HUD, $695/mo total. 506-B College Main. 254-289-0585, 254-289-8200
Affordable 1bd apartment with granite, close to campus, on TAMU bus route, call 979-693-4900.
3bd/3ba duplex, big backyard, close to campus, pets allowed, call 979-693-4900.
Less then a mile from campus, fully furnished, only $500/per room, call 979-693-4900.
Brand new 1bd/1ba, walking distance to campus, call 979-693-4900.
SPECIAL
see ads at thebatt.com
Private Party Want ads
$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 Luxury condo, close to campus, brand new, granite countertops, with wood floors, contact 979-693-4900.
HELP WANTED Athletic men for calendars, books, etc. $75-$150/hr, up to $500/day. No experience. aggieresponse@gmail.com
HELP WANTED Part-time cleaning, day and evening, Monday-Friday. Call 979-823-1614 for interview. Looking to get real-estate license or have license but looking for a company to work for? Call 979-693-4900 or send resume to curtis@aafbcs.com Work around your class schedule! No Saturday or Sundays, off during the holidays. The Battalion Advertising Office is hiring an Advertising Sales Representative. Must be enrolled at A&M and have reliable transportation. Interested applicants should come by our office located in the MSC, Suite 400, from 8am-4pm, ask to speak with Joseph.
HELP WANTED The Battalion Advertising Office is hiring for our Street Team. Work around your class schedule on campus! Interested applicants should come by our office located in the MSC, Suite 400, from 8am-4pm, for more information Ask to speak with Joseph.
REAL ESTATE CS 2810 Jennifer, 4/2.5/2, shuttle, $189,500; Michael, TAMU'93 Civil Engineering, 979-739-2035; Nadia 979-777-6211, mail@nadiarealty.com Town&Country Realty. Hablamos Espanol!
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The Battalion | 2.6.19
PROVIDED
Utilities Challenge is a semester-long research project which focuses on issues including sustainability and infrastructure improvements.
Promoting sustainability through research Students analyze utility consumption data, look to improve dorm efficiency By Giselle Warren @GiselleWarren16 Students interested in sustainability or seeking experience in research have the opportunity to create change on campus through the fourth annual Utilities Challenge, organized by Utilities and Energy Services and the Department of Residence Life. The semester-long research project is conducted by groups of four to six people who are given access to a specific residence hall’s utility consumption data and other information, which will be used to create plans to help
WRITE CONTINUED kids with thick accents or little kids who speak too fast or quietly. These are issues a teacher would have to plan ahead to manage.” Despite this technical difficulty, researchers said the use of technology reduced problems students had with handwriting, spelling or grammar, and helped them maintain focus with storytelling. “It’s too soon to tell the results until we do a full analysis on the data, but the preliminary results are really good,” Moody said. “We’ve
the halls operate more sustainably. U-Challenge participants also look into matters like infrastructure improvements and student engagement to facilitate strategies that will best improve the residence hall as a whole. According to graduate assistant sustainability coordinator Kristianna Bowles, U-Challenge benefits students because it gives the Department of Residence Life insight to make necessary changes. “One of the core values of Residence Life is to make sure that we are providing what students need within their spaces because they’re paying to live here,” Bowles said. “A&M is the largest university in Texas, and we set an example as to what housing should be like. You should take active information from your students, get their perspective on what they
want to see and then actively work to implement those.” In addition to creating change on campus, participants of U-Challenge learn essential skills that can be used in the workplace. Being part of a research team that analyses data and forms solutions to problems can be the experience employers look for when hiring. Director of Administrative and Support Services Carol Binzer said the skills learned while participating in U-Challenge are essential for graduate and undergraduate students. “They certainly get [skills like] public speaking, creating a presentation and a little bit of teamwork experience,” Binzer said. “It’s professional development, even if they never think about the energy field again.”
Participants’ understanding of energy consumption is also heavily affected after working with U-Challenge. According to Energy Steward Tim Murphy, students can see energy problems from a different perspective and work to fix the problems efficiently and effectively. “It gives the participants more intimate knowledge of how a building operates, and it will allow them to make better decisions on things that they can do to help with minimizing consumption,” Murphy said. For more information about U-Challenge or on-campus sustainability, visit reslife.tamu.edu/living/sustainability.
seen an increase in several areas like length and vocabulary diversity as well as overall growth in holistic writing scores. The project has been really well-received in schools. It’s contributed to a good relation between Bryan ISD schools and Texas A&M.” Interdisciplinary studies senior Sophia Galvin studies early childhood education and was the first undergraduate student to be involved in the project. Galvin is a lead teacher for the after-school program and said it is a great experience for
the kids, and gave teachers hands-on experience in the classroom. “The best part of working on the project was the people I met,” Galvin said. “Dr. Kuo and Dr. Dixon are highly regarded scholars in their field and amazing mentors. They were so welcoming and accommodating, and Stephanie Moody single-handedly prepared me to be a good teacher.” Galvin and interdisciplinary studies senior Layne Poole received first place and the Outstanding Writing Award at Student Research
week for their case study from Ready, Set, Write! Galvin is presenting the study at the Southwest Educational Research Association conference in San Antonio from Feb. 6-8. “I’m a little biased, but I think it will have a huge impact if [the results] get published,” Galvin said. “I’ve seen the impact it’s had on second graders. I’ve seen firsthand all students improve in writing. It’s amazing to watch. If the information gets out there in the hands of teachers, it will be incredibly helpful.”