TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2020 STUDENT MEDIA
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The Thanksgiving holiday falls on Nov. 26.
Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION
Texas A&M will host 15 separate in-person commencement ceremonies in Reed Arena for fall graduation.
A&M releases fall graduation plans Fall commencement to take place over five days with 15 total ceremonies, added COVID-19 precautions By Aubrey Vogel @aubrey_vogel
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mid the COVID-19 pandemic, fall graduation will be held in person with 15 different commencement ceremonies. The ceremonies will take place on Dec. 9, 10, 11, 17 and 18, with each day having three ceremonies; at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The ceremonies will be a blend of in-person and video elements, and will preserve student involvement. Associate Vice President of External Affairs Chad Wootton said the total number of graduates is estimated to be just under 5,100 for the College Station campus. “The events are socially distanced,”
Wootton said. “It will be somewhere [between] 325 [to] 340 degree candidates on the floor of Reed Arena [at each ceremony].” Audience attendance at graduation will be limited to allow for proper social distancing. Due to the restricted number of patrons inside the venue, each graduate will be given six tickets that they can use for guests. Those in attendance must wear a face mask for the entirety of the ceremony. “Seating areas for attendees will be clearly marked in order to maintain safe physical distancing. Guests may sit together in groups of no more than six,” a press release from the provost read. “Ushers will be available to assist with seating.” There will be no procession of candidates as students will report to their assigned seat prior to the ceremony. After students walk the stage, they will exit Reed Arena with their guests to reduce the amount of people leaving at the conclusion of the ceremony. Students will receive their diploma tube on stage but will receive their diploma by mail at a later date.
“Everyone won’t sit there for the duration of the ceremony. Once their name is called they will walk the stage and they will be free to leave,” Wootton said. “Our idea [with guests leaving at the time of the graduate] we are thinning the departure grouping around exits rather than if we leave all at the same time.” Degree candidates have a choice to walk this semester or wait until the spring for the make-up ceremony. This allows an alternative option for those that have health concerns or feel safer waiting. Wootton said the president and Office of the Provost felt as if they should make their best effort to have the ceremony. “There is still a fondness for having the [in-person] ceremony as a cumulation of their studies, whether it be an understudies or graduate or doctoral or professional program, where their families can be a part of it,” Wootton said. “We are very hopeful and we think we have learned a lot about how to manage social gatherings and with GRADUATION ON PG. 3
Aggies remain thankful despite difficult year Thanksgiving break offers many students reprieve from coursework By Jessica Le @jxssicalx With only a few days remaining until the start of Thanksgiving Break, students are ready to go back home and celebrate the holiday with their friends and family. The final day of class is Tuesday, Nov. 24, with Thanksgiving following on Thursday, Nov. 26. Students share what they have been most grateful for as they reflect on this semester as well as what they look forward to on Thanksgiving Day. As Thanksgiving is officially the first break of the fall semester, English sophomore Sarabeth Erdner said she feels as though she is now able to hit pause on this difficult semester. “I am so thankful for my professors [who] have all been understanding with everything I am going through. There is a lot happening in my life right now, and with [COVID-19] on top of it all and juggling classes, getting away THANKFUL ON PG. 2
UPD discusses sexual assault safety measures
Taming the Tigers
Law enforcement outlines resources available for survivors of sex crimes By Kathryn Miller @kathrynmiller0
back and play and compete well,” Fisher said. “I always felt revenge clouds your thinking, and you have to base things on what you have now and what you can do.” Fisher said LSU’s overall athleticism stands out the most to him in preparing for Saturday. “Their [defensive] ends can rush, tight ends are so athletic and their receivers are big and strong,” Fisher said. “I don’t think there is one area that jumps out at you. What jumps out at you is the team and their overall
Sexual assault is a prevalent issue on college campuses across the nation according to womenhealth.gov Texas A&M is included with the most recent offense reported on Nov. 11. A&M and the Bryan-College Station community provide an abundance of resources for sexual assault victims, along with resources for response and preventative measures. University Police Department Lieutenant Bobby Richardson gave his insight on how to actively be aware of possible sexual harassment incidents. “We obviously don’t want these situations to occur, but in a population this size it can happen,” Richardson said. “If you see something, say something. Be cautious, trust your instincts and be aware of your surroundings. You can’t do any of those things if you’re on your phone or have earbuds in, so really pay attention to what’s going on around you. If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t, so that’s when you want to call the police immediately.” To reduce campus-wide cases, Richardson said raising awareness and practicing preventative measures are vital steps to take. “If you’re going to go out at night, go out with a group of friends and stick together,”
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UPD ON PG. 2
Courtesy of Craig Bisacre— Texas A&M Athletics
The Aggies defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 48-3 in their last game before the Tennessee and Ole Miss games were postponed.
Aggies coming off of unanticipated break following COVID-19 positives By Meghan Sharber @meghan_olivia02 For the first time since a record-breaking seven-overtime win over the Tigers in 2018, LSU returns to Kyle Field to face No. 5 Texas A&M on Saturday, Nov. 28. The last time the Aggies saw the field was on Nov. 7 against South Carolina, which resulted in a 48-3 win. Due to positive
COVID-19 tests and subsequent quarantines, A&M’s matchups against Tennessee on Nov. 14 and Ole Miss on Nov. 21 are rescheduled. A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said 2020 has been an adverse year for the team, but the Aggies are trying to embrace it. “We did the best we could… guys are excited to get back to play against a talented LSU team,” Fisher said. Despite coming off a 50-7 loss to the Tigers last season, Fisher said A&M is not pursuing revenge this weekend. “Anytime you get beat, you want to go
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