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Abby Collida — THE BATTALION

The New York based non-profit StoryCorps travels the country to record the oral history of the communities they visit.

Preserving Aggie stories Annie Lui — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M assistant professor of architecture Alejandro Borges is one of three professors working to develop 3D printed outdoor furniture and playgrounds.

RECYCLE, REDESIGN, REPEAT Professors look to give discarded plastic new life with innovative design strategies By Hollis Mills @sillohsllim In an effort to rejuvenate the world’s recycling system, Texas A&M professors are developing design strategies to produce 3D-printed outdoor furniture and playground equipment from entirely recycled plastics. The 3D printing project — led by architecture professors Alejandro Borges and Weiling He, and mechanical engineering professor Terry Creasy — is one of the latest visions to be funded by T3: Texas A&M Triads for Transformation. Part of the President’s Excellence Fund, T3 is a multidisciplinary

seed-grant program designed to support faculty-led projects that improve the community, state, nation and world. With financial backing and an urgency for change, Borges, He and Creasy are bringing their architectural mentality to an environmentalist’s field. “What we’re developing with the grant that we received from [T3] are strategies for the transformation of plastic,” Borges said. “We can — as architects — design and propose different ways of looking at the discarded materials and turn them into something beautiful, practical and useful.” While the current state of the 3D designs for outdoor furniture and playground equipment are still conceptual, He said to expect functioning prototypes within the next year. “In terms of the timeline, we’ll be working with RECYCLE ON PG. 2

StoryCorps participants unite at MSC exhibit’s opening reception By Meagan Sheffield @mshef350 The paths of war heros, a world-renowned architect and several other Aggies on unique journeys converged on Tuesday to celebrate the art of storytelling. The community was invited to attend the StoryCorps at Texas A&M opening reception from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the J. Wayne Stark Galleries. The exhibit — featuring 12 Aggie interviews — will be on display until Jan. 31. The complete project involving 41 stories and 82 individuals can be found on the A&M StoryCorps website at tamu.edu/StoryCorps. StoryCorps is a New York-based non profit that has recorded people’s experiences throughout a 12-year road trip across the United States in their “MobileBooths.” The interviews are preserved in the Library of Con-

gress Archives and on the StoryCorps website, StoryCorps.org. The company visited A&M in February of 2018, hosting pre-selected students, faculty, staff, administrators and former students in its trailer. StoryCorps invited all other Aggies to record their own stories through two on-campus recording studios throughout February. Harold Adams, Class of 1961, and his wife, Janice, were recommended as participants in the project by University President Michael K. Young after getting to know him and his wife, Marti, on a cruise. Adams is a Distinguished Alumnus of the College of Architecture and helped grow the architecture firm RKTL into an international company with nine offices. In their recording, Harold and Janice discussed how they met 55 years ago and how Harold began working with President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy on several federal projects three months after graduation from A&M, including LaFayette Square in Washington, STORYCORPS ON PG. 2

Looking to keep the streak alive Women’s basketball aims for fourth consecutive win By Brian Bass @brianbass4 After a three week hiatus from the AP top 25, the No. 24 Texas A&M women’s basketball team will face off against Auburn on Thursday in a crucial conference matchup. The 15-3 Tigers have been a tough team on the road lately, with wins against Florida, Alabama and Vanderbilt. However, Auburn has met their match with ranked teams at home after No. 10 Tennessee and No. 7 Mississippi State blew out the Tigers by 11 and 26, respectively, to

begin the new year. Now, Auburn will have to battle the ranked Aggies at home in Auburn Arena. A&M has had a successful run in the last three contests, with wins on the road against Vanderbilt and Georgia, and a routing of Alabama at home on Jan. 13. In the game against Georgia, sophomore forward N’Dea Jones recorded 21 rebounds — the most in a regular-season game from an A&M basketball player. Leading SEC scorer, Chennedy Carter was also a focal point of the win against Georgia, with a season-high 31 points. The Tiger’s have boasted an experienced roster that has been troubled over the past couple of games after being routed by Mississippi State on Jan. 14.

After a subpar showing against the Bulldogs, Auburn found themselves down by 20 to a Vanderbilt team that has yet to pick up their first conference win. The Commodores eventually blew the lead after Auburn senior guard Janiah McKay ended the night with 19 points, leading them to a comeback victory on the road. A&M will have to watch out for junior guard Daisa Alexander and redshirt junior guard Crystal Primm, along with sophomore forward Unique Thompson, all have averaged 11 points or more per game this season. “Another team with three studs that you’ve got to go out and be able to stop,” A&M head coach BASKETBALL ON PG. 3

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Sophomore forward N’Dea Jones recorded the most rebounds in a regular season game, with 21 against Georgia.

Online persona affects opportunities Professors examine social media’s role in the workplace By Savannah Mehrtens @SJMehrtens

Brandon Holmes — THE BATTALION

In many states, there are few laws and regulations restricting employers from viewing perspective hire’s social media accounts.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media platforms are made for being part of an online community, but employers can also watch someone’s feed for certain behaviors. Although a person’s online presence may be on a private setting, employers are still legally allowed to ask for access to people’s accounts so they can view posts before hiring or to monitor them at a current job,

said Brian Holland, law professor at Texas A&M School of Law. According to CareerBuilder, 70 percent of employers use social media for finding information about job candidates and 48 percent check their current employees accounts. While there are currently no laws directly surrounding social media privacy and employers, Holland said The Fair Credit Reporting Act has been the predominant law used in these types of discussions. Focused on the use of credit reports in employment decisions, the act was meant to prevent employers from discriminating against or choosing not to hire a potential employee based on their credit scores or other identifying factors.

“Behind that was in part a worry that credit reports themselves would bias against applications based on race and gender and so forth,” Holland said. “That doesn’t fit very well with social media. So we have almost no laws at this point, at least at the federal level, that are applicable to an employer’s search of social media for an employment application. In fact, I think that students might be shocked to find out just how far employers are allowed to go.” Holland said employers will check on publicly available information or send a friend request to see the information on someone’s profile to access more of an ONLINE ON PG. 2

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Abby Collida — THE BATTALION

The oral history of 12 Aggies can be listened to at an exhibit in Stark Galleries until Jan. 31, and all recordings can be found at tamu.edu/StoryCorps.

STORYCORPS CONTINUED Congratulations to Grounds Associates of the Month:

Mark Feathers, Taylor Bryant, Laura Munoz, Randy Harrison and Tristen Fisher Associates who receive this award are recognized for going above and beyond their normal duties to promote teamwork, unity, a positive attitude, kindness and exceptional customer service. Thank you, all, for your hard work and dedication to Grounds!

D.C., the JFK Presidential Library and Museum, and later their gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery. “It all just happened so fast — it was like two minutes on a space shuttle or something,” Adams said. “Once [the gravesite] was under construction, I didn’t go back to see it. It was so emotional. The last time I was there, I took Bobby Kennedy with me to let him see.” Jennifer Ganter, Class of 1999, and Katy Jackson, Class of 2000, were invited to participate in the project as well. Their father owned the Dixie Chicken before the business was passed down to them, and they spent much of their childhood in and around the bar.

RECYCLE CONTINUED stages: smaller tests, bigger prototyping and bigger scale production,” He said. “Our immediate goal would be this coming September to show something at the Austin trash makeover fashion show, and during that period of time we will increase the prototyping. Professor Borges also has an idea with Downtown Bryan, so maybe in the following summer we can do a interactive installation there.” Borges’ commencement of this recycle and redesign project comes just two months after he received finalist honors at the 44th AIA Dallas Ken Roberts Memorial Delineation Competition, the world’s oldest architectural design competition. With his piece “Invited” Borges speculated about the outer limits and possibilities that architectural space can be pushed to, a sentiment he said he has also carried over into this latest project. “There’s a lot of things that can be said in relation to what we investigate as architects,” Borges said. “We’re trying to use and interpret architectural concepts in different ways in relation to spatial ideas, like different concepts of space and movement, and the relationship of how space — in a way — generates emotion into the people that inhabit them.” Borges said every piece of work constructed is an extension of who we are as people, and his latest project is meant to reflect that. Deep in the heart of the Pacific Ocean looms the “Great Pacific Gar-

ONLINE CONTINUED 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.

applicant’s social media. There are 26 states that have restricted the lengths to which employers can access information, and 16 states apply to restrictions on educational institutions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. “In most states, employers are permitted to force you to disclose access, to either friend them or even potentially provide them access through pulling up the account for them,” Holland said. “Getting passwords — although some employers have used that tactic — has been frowned upon, but forcing you to allow them access by accepting their friend request for the most part in most states at this point … is perfectly legal.” Assistant professor of communication Anna Wolfe teaches the importance of online presence through an extended learning activity in her organizational communication course. Students analyze one another’s social media accounts then respond to a questionnaire about the person’s online persona to learn the best practices for their accounts. “The purpose of that is to help them

“I really hope [listeners] get our sense of what A&M and all of the history, the traditions, actually mean to us — that we are a part of what this is and how much it is a part of us,” Jackson said. “We’re not just opening another bar on Northgate.” Cruz Rios, Class of 2011 and Assistant Director of Multicultural Services, spoke with his former student Luis Moreno, Class of 2018, about their experiences as first-generation college students and dealing with culture shock. The two met during Moreno’s freshman year through the organization Latino Males United, for which Rios is an adviser. Rios said he wouldn’t normally participate in a project like this, but after his department approached him looking for volunteers, he wanted to take

advantage of the opportunity to share his story. “I’m glad that I was able to do [the project] with him specifically because I was able to be vulnerable in our conversation,” Rios said. “There were certain things that I wasn’t really sure that I was going to talk about, but a lot of things actually came out during our conversation.” According to Rios, other people should open up and share their own stories to help them realize that their experiences are valid and to connect with others on a deeper level. “The Aggie experience is so varied and so diverse,” Rios said. “My hope is that they get to hear and listen to a lot of the stories and know that they also have a story to tell.”

bage Patch.” The garbage patch consists of roughly 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic that now cover an area double the size of the Lone Star state, and according to Borges and He, the toxic ocean mass was a long time coming. “It is tragic, the amount of plastic thrown into oceans,” Borges said. “We are very worried about the fact that it seems like people are not really aware of how shocking and how important it is to address this problem.” Borges said while efforts for environmental improvement have been made by national leaders, society continues to repeat past mistakes. “The idea should be that we are so developed as a society that we don’t produce the contaminants of the oceans and nature,” Borges said. “The [United Nations] created a document urging different countries to start acting seriously toward changing the ways we produce waste, so we are aware of the problem, yet we keep producing plastic. The consumer’s way of living and this running commercial structure haven’t really changed, so we keep producing the same waste.” Following her involvement in several art installations that also repurposed plastic, He said one of the more challenging aspects to manipulating the material is bridging the gap between artistry and practicality. “People always say diamonds are forever, but I think plastic is forever,” He said. “Addressing this plastic waste is a way to address consumerism in our culture, but on the other hand, the architect’s designer point of view

is to think about plastic as a material. Is there anyway we can transform recycled plastic — which is trash and of almost no value — into something that people appreciate?” However, unlike the filtered aesthetic of art shows that will merely call attention to an issue, an architect must raise awareness and provide the solution, He said. “A lot of artists also use recycled materials, but there is a big difference between architects reusing of plastics and artists,” He said. “Artists are making a statement, but architects are in between art and engineering. We’re trying to make something that will not only impact the public’s emotion, but that can also be reintegrated into their everyday lives. That’s why we chose the public space, because unless you can reintegrate a material into everybody’s life, it cannot be recycled.” Borges and He said they have also discussed the possibility of utilizing A&M’s own recycling system or even partnering with the industry that produces plastic bottles. “If we could partner with the industry and reintegrate the recycled material into the economy, maybe that’s the positive spin on recycling,” He said. “We cannot say trying to make profit is evil because this is how society is run. The economy is a very essential factor to push this forward, but the problem is we haven’t found a way to make recycling plastic and other materials a viable approach economically. If we could test this and get positive feedback, the impact would be even greater.”

understand technology as a tool and to understand how their online presence can help them and hurt them when they’re applying to jobs and in their professional lives,” Wolfe said. “In today’s society, especially if you’re going for a communication oriented job in marketing or public relations, it’s important for you to have an online presence but for that online presence to be very thoughtful and intentional.” Samantha Wilson, executive director at A&M’s Career Center, said she recommends students check their social media accounts now to prepare an online presence for potential employers. “Sit down and look at those accounts — look at Instagram, look at Facebook, look at the other kinds of platforms that you have where you’re putting things out there and really assess that,” Wilson said. “What kind of image does that present?” Blake Parrish, director of marketing, communications and public relations for the Mays Business School, said students should follow accounts similar to the interests of companies where they hope to work. “Many companies use social media to reflect their culture,” Parrish said. “A company culture means you could have a mission and value statement

that could be posted on the walls, but what are those people all about that are in that company? Do they believe in the mission and do they act that out? … To sum it up, I would call culture what really happens within an organization, not just what is stated but what is done.” Instructional assistant professor Nancy Parish teaches introduction to social media and said these platforms can be used to communicate with and learn about companies, find jobs and follow experts in a job seeker’s fields of interest. Parish said there is potential for people in the field to connect with students seeking advice from the experts through social media platforms, such as Twitter or LinkedIn. “If you’re interested in going into a certain field, find people that are doing it,” Parish said. “Then follow them. See what they’re posting, interact with them. I wish I had this when I was young because I would have loved to interact with people in the PR industry.” For students looking to improve their image on the web, the Student Employment Office will be hosting an Online Persona workshop on Jan. 29 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pavilion 236.

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Set to launch in late 2019, Disney+ will compete with other streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime.

Disney’s new streaming service will disrupt the industry Removal of popular titles will affect Netflix and may necessitate purchase of yet another monthly subscription Keagan Miller @KeaganMlr

n recent years, Netflix has pioneered the rise of the streaming service as a primary means of media consumption, forever changing the way most people watch TV. With the rise of Netflix came the rise of other services as well. Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Showtime and all the other streaming subscriptions would likely not have seen the success they have without Netflix to pave the way. But now that streaming services have become popular and established, Disney has come to upset the hierarchy. With the series of buyouts Disney has performed in recent years, the entertainment giant owns a significant number of insanely popular properties. Disney’s original properties aside, the titan company owns both Marvel and Star Wars, two of the most popular and successful film franchises in history. Disney has

BASKETBALL CONTINUED Gary Blair said. “Just like Georgia had three. … Every team in the SEC is going to have at least three players that could start for anybody in our league.” Despite the struggles of late, A&M will still have to hash it out with an Auburn team

announced plans to sequester most of its properties on a dedicated Disney streaming service titled Disney+, which is set to start operation in late 2019. As of now, it is unclear exactly which shows and movies will remain available on other services like Netflix and Hulu, though people are expecting most Disney properties to be removed. More importantly, it is unclear what Disney’s announcement means for the future of existing streaming services. Without Netflix’s extensive Marvel show and film content, will the streaming giant suffer losses? The Marvel-Netflix co-op show “Daredevil” has already been cancelled after a massively successful third season, likely in preparation for Disney’s own solo take on the lucrative character. Will Netflix take losses when it loses hit Star Wars series “The Clone Wars” or the several Star Wars movies it currently has on its roster? It’s impossible to know how much other streaming services will be affected by the loss of Disney properties, but I think it’s safe to say that the removal of many of the most

popular and recognizable titles in entertainment won’t hit lightly. It’s also impossible to know just how stingy Disney will be with its assets. It seems probable that the company will take back as many of its shows and movies as it can. After all, driving out the competition is just good business. However, rumors are circulating that some items, like Netflix’s Marvel Defenders shows, will remain on Netflix, and others will be relegated, oddly enough, to Hulu. Disney owns a majority stake of Hulu after their acquisition of Fox, but it is still unclear why and how they will choose certain properties to be distributed to the service instead of their own. What does this mean for people who want to watch Disney properties as well as other movies and TV shows? Disney+ won’t have the same diversity of content as Netflix or Hulu, which means that people who want to consume Disney properties in addition to more diverse content won’t be able to subsist on Disney+’s comparatively sparse list of titles alone. Those who appreciate Netflix’s wide

variety of content but also love Disney too much to let it go will just have to suck it up and dish out more money each month for an additional streaming service. As things stand now, there isn’t any way around it. As streaming services multiply and entertainment companies continue to divide their properties among them, one can hope that the future will bring a way to consolidate these services. It would be great to have one platform that allows you to search through all the titles from every service you pay for, without having to constantly switch between them. It would be nicer still to only have to pay for one service without sacrificing content availability. Hopefully the entertainment market will eventually shift in this direction, but for now, it looks like Disney+ will be yet another entertainment app I have to download.

that runs a strong press and one of the better defenses in the SEC. Although they aren’t a physically big team, Auburn will be competitive with their guard play. Defensively, the Aggies will have to guard the perimeter closer than usual to cut off the three-point game from Auburn. The post game will be a big factor for A&M

on offense. Auburn is guard-heavy and does not hold a lot of depth in the paint. Although Thompson will be a very important presence for Auburn, A&M will challenge her on every possession. N’Dea Jones and Ciera Johnson will be crashing the boards and looking for every possibility to make a great play inside for the Aggies.

“They’re the best,” Blair said. “They have been the best ever since I’ve been in the SEC with their press. If we can hold our turnovers to 15, we’ve got a great chance.” A&M will travel to Alabama to face Auburn in the Auburn Arena on Thursday. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m., and the game will be televised on SEC Network.

Keagan Miller is a psychology junior and Life & Arts writer for The Battalion.

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HELP WANTED 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. 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.

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OPEN TO ALL MAJORS! Representatives from companies including H-E-B, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, PetSmart, Target, Walgreens, and more. Business Professional dress attire required. Our hiring partners are looking to fill full-time positions and internships in marketing, HR, supply chain, finance, buying, merchandising, management, and more. Most companies are hiring for corporate headquarter roles, in addition to in-store and regional positions. Don’t miss out on this great hiring opportunity!

Tuesday, January 29 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Wehner Lobby Mays Business School crs.mays.tamu.edu Courtesy

PHOTOS FOR THE 2019 AGGIELAND! AR Photography will be set up to have your FREE portrait taken for Texas A&M University’s 2019 Aggieland yearbook. 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. It’s your yearbook. Be in it.

AGGIELAND 2018

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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 Go Online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613 to make your purchase.

Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s Texas Task Force 1 had a record number of deployments in 2018.

Task Force 1 gears up for 2019 After busiest year in its history, TX-TF1 remains ready for action By Katie James @kaytajames Search and rescue team Texas Task Force 1 just completed its busiest year to date and is now preparing for a potentially flood-heavy 2019. From hurricanes to tornadoes to flooding, the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s TX-TF1 had their hands full deploying volunteers across the state and nation a total of 18 times throughout 2018. As one of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s 28 sanctioned urban search and rescue teams, TX-TF1 helps people facing natural and man-made disasters. While the team can be deployed by the state or federal government to help people affected by terrorist attacks, explosions, earthquakes and wildfires, most deployments in 2018 were a result of Texas’ extremely wet weather, said TX-TF1 director Jeff Saunders. “We have responded to events during every month of the year, including tornadoes in December and flooding in April,” Saunders said in a statement. “Eighty percent of our deployments are water-related, and at

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here?’” Bjune said. “There isn’t anybody; we’d have to wait for responders from New Mexico or Tennessee, and that’s not a good answer.” Since its establishment in 1997, the force has grown and been strengthened thanks to its proximity to the first responder training provided by TEEX, Bjune said. “We are made up of all volunteers, almost 750 from all across the state, all who have day jobs: firefighters, police officers, engineers and medical personnel,” Bjune said. “It’s really incredible when you look at the amount of training in a year: 30,000 hours, and we pay for the cost of the training, but all other expenses — travel, food, board — are on them.” Bjune said the team has been increasing its efficiency with the same budget since 2004. He said he believes TX-TF1 was properly prepared for the busy year they had in 2018 and is confident in its ability to tackle 2019’s new challenges. “Because of support from A&M, our excellent members and our training, we have some of the best-trained responders in the nation,” Bjune said. “We stand ready to provide service to our state.”

LIFE 101 in session AgriLife Extension program aims to teach students healthy eating habits

$75.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee) Come by office L400 of the MSC and skip the mail fee charge.

least a third of our deployments have been outside hurricane season. For this reason, we train year-round, so we can respond at a moment’s notice, regardless of the season.” Training manager and public information officer Stephen Bjune said water rescues are a major component of the job, but everyone is prepared for a wide variety of situations. The task force volunteers are self-sufficient for the first 72 hours of operation and can extend their functionality to 14 days when given outside support. “We are an urban search and rescue team whose mission is to do the most good for the most people in the least amount of time,” Bjune said. “When disaster strikes, we are the ones who respond.” The task force is preparing for a busy 2019 since major river systems are close to flooding levels due to the frequent rainfall. Bjune said he expects the high number of water rescues to continue since the El Niño weather pattern will likely bring more warm, wet weather. TX-TF1 turns 22 this year, and Bjune said the task force’s presence continues to make the state a safer place. “After the Oklahoma City explosion in 1995 that caused significant damage to the city, people in Texas started to ask, ‘What do we have if that happens

By Kenya Robinson @_KenyaJ Whether students need advice on how to freeze their meals or shop for produce, a program on campus hosts events to teach Aggies how to pursue a nutritious lifestyle. LIFE 101, Learning Information from Extension, is a program developed by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Food and Nutrition Unit, that provides dietary knowledge to students at A&M. The program hosts one-hour events in different locations across campus and in the College Station area to discuss a variety of topics related to food and nutrition, including how to prepare a healthy meal and how to develop healthier eating patterns. LIFE 101 started in January 2018 with the goal of increasing awareness about the AgriLife Extension Service, said Carley Carpenter, LIFE 101 Coordinator and nutritional science graduate Class of 2017. The program also began after a campus assessment revealed that food insecurity is an issue at A&M and that students are interested in learning more about budgeting, nutrition and tips for preparing quick, healthy meals. “There are intense study classes that are related to our major, and we are very focused on that, but students go home and still don’t know how to cook a meal for themselves,” Carpenter said. “What should they do? So that’s how [LIFE 101] got started.” Carpenter said the main event for this semester will be a discussion on how to make healthy eating more convenient. As a former student, Carpenter said she enjoys working with current students to share this information across campus. “I get to work with college students all over campus, and we find ways to help them troubleshoot barriers that they have to feel like they can’t live a healthy lifestyle,” Carpenter said. “That’s what I love about it, just being able to help college students see something from a different perspective. Maybe they didn’t realize that they could do this at home.” LIFE 101 events draw on evidence-based research about food and nutrition provided by the AgriLife Extension service, Carpen-

ter said. The program works with undergraduates within the Department of Nutrition who serve as volunteers. Carpenter uses the research to train the student volunteers and prepare them to teach the information to other students. She said this peer-to-peer education model encourages students to absorb the knowledge quickly. “If you’re talking to a friend that says ‘oh I’ve tried this,’ or they might say ‘this is really easy,’ that might appeal to you a lot more than someone who is older,” Carpenter said. “That’s where that peer to peer model comes from is that you’re getting trustworthy information from friends.” Nutrition senior and LIFE 101 volunteer Meghan Bauman said she heard about the program after Carpenter visited a meeting for another organization she is a part of. Bauman now works on the pop-ups team, which is responsible for creating sandwich boards with information about upcoming events and posting them throughout the university. Bauman said she’s looking forward to more LIFE 101 lessons this semester and the opportunity for more volunteer experience in the nutrition field. “I think we focus so much on school work and organization stuff that we really don’t take the time to think about our nutrition and our health and our diet,” Bauman said. “It can impact how well we perform in school, so I think it’s very important for students to become more aware of how food nutrition and a good healthy diet can positively impact how well we do in school and how we perform.” Nutrition senior Robin Kohnhorst said she enjoyed talking to students about how to cook healthy in a dorm room. Kohnhorst encourages students to attend LIFE 101 events to learn how to apply this information to their daily lives. “Its quick and fun, and you get to talk to other people about it,” Kohnhorst said. “We also have recipes provided. ... I think it’s a good way to kind of navigate a whole web of nutrition and fad diets and other things.” To learn more about LIFE 101, contact Carey Carpenter at carley.carpenter.tamu. edu or find life101agrilifeextension on Instagram or Facebook. More information about the AgriLife Extension Service is available at agrilife.org.