The Battalion - September 10, 2018

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2018 STUDENT MEDIA

Senate hopeful returns to B-CS for campaign event

By Jordan Burnham @RJordanBurnham Despite the rainy weather, community members and students turned out to Wayside Food Park on Sunday for Congressman Beto O’Rourke’s College Station town hall.

O’Rourke will seek to unseat incumbent Senator Ted Cruz in this year’s midterm elections and if successful, will become the first Democratic senator elected in Texas since 1988.

Since one major component of O’Rourke’s campaign platform is bipartisanship, he encouraged everyone to reach across the aisle.

“Democrats, Independents and Republicans alike [are] coming together for this country at this deeply divided, highly polarised moment in our history,” O’Rourke said. “Putting party affiliation, any other small differences — geography, race, sexual orientation, how long you’ve been in this country, whether you just got here last week — we put all of that stuff aside and we come together for this country.”

O’Rourke said he was able to play a role in passing legislation that expands mental healthcare for veterans, something he credits to finding common ground with his Republican colleagues.

“That is frowned upon by the party bosses who say ‘Hey Beto, you’re making the Republicans look good, it’s going to be harder for us to knock them out in the next election cycle,’’’ O’Rourke said. “And that may be true, but my job is to do my best while I can, where I can and where I am for the people of this country.”

O’Rourke said that while the cost of higher education is an issue most directly concerning university students, it has major consequences for the state at large.

“Affordability of higher education in a country that has $1.5 trillion in outstanding student loan debt is fundamental to the success of our country over the long-term,” O’Rourke said. “[It is] fundamental to the access BETO ON PG. 2

Beto back in Brazos County Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

Congressman Beto O’Rourke has visited all 254 counties in Texas, campaigning for U.S. Senate against incumbent Senator Ted Cruz.

Graphic by Jesse Everett

According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, over 5,000 15-24-year-olds died by suicide in 2016.

Ending the stigma Events look to encourage open dialogue on suicide

By Savannah Mehrtens @SJMehrtens National Suicide Prevention Week, Sept. 9 to 15, is part of a nationwide effort to encourage communication and fight the stigma surrounding suicide.

The week falls in the middle of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and includes various programs and educational initiatives. In the United States, suicide is the second

leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34 and the 10th leading cause of death overall, according to data from the CDC published by the National Institute of Mental Health and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. According to the same data from 2016, men died by suicide 3.53 times more often than women and suicide rates were highest among Native Americans and Alaskan Natives.

Santana Simple, professional counselor and director of suicide prevention at Student AWARENESS ON PG. 2

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Texas A&M’s visualization laboratory focuses on computer graphics while offering drawing, painting and sculpting as alternative mediums.

Aggie artists host First Friday showcase Bryan viz lab offers opportunity for more community contact

By Salvador Garcia @SalGarJr Texas A&M’s visualization laboratory opened the doors of their Downtown Bryan studio to present

the diverse works of graduate students during Sept. 7’s First Friday.

The monthly event hosting artists, live music and evening dining allowed students a platform to share their creations and interact with the public.

The viz lab showcased past works on the first floor of the Perry Place Loft Apartments and they plan to present more creations during future First Fri-

days.

While the viz lab focuses on using computers as a medium for creating art, the studio also showcases paintings, soft sculptures, tabletop miniatures and live music.

According to William Jenks, director of viz lab and assistant visualization VIZ LAB ON PG. 3

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AWARENESS CONTINUED Counseling Services, said her job includes training students, faculty and staff to identify and offer help to those who may be contemplating suicide.

“What I talk a lot about in the trainings is that the stigma of ‘Oh, I can’t talk about suicide’ or ‘If I bring it up then I’m going to give that person the idea,’” Simple said. “I think it just represents our anxiety about talking about suicide but really what we have to switch our frame of reference is recognizing that communication of checking in on someone is lifesaving.”

Learning how to take action and break the stigma around suicide is essential, Simple said and students should be aware of what they can do to make a difference.

“National Suicide Awareness Month and week is really just about us erasing that stigma and making sure that we are recognizing that someone is struggling,” Simple said.

“Checking in on them, getting them connected to resources.”

Simple said the Suicide Awareness Walk, an on-campus event hosted by Student Counseling Services on Sept. 19 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Rudder Plaza, will be an opportunity for students to learn how to help.

If someone has a sense that something may be wrong with another person that could lead to suicide, Simple said the first thing to do is start a conversation.

“If you have that inclination that something is wrong and this person is not quite being themselves I think the first thing students should know is to check in on that person, even if it’s just asking what’s going on,” Simple said.

For more immediate assistance, the student counseling HelpLine is always open for students to use. HelpLine coordinator Susan Vavra, said the phone service is a valuable resource for students experiencing suicidal thoughts.

“When it comes to suicide specifically, we certainly invite anyone who is having any kind of suicidal ideation or thinking about making an attempt to give us a call and talk to us about what that’s feeling like to them,” Vavra said.

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“We’re hoping that we can de-escalate that to where they’re in a place after making that human contact with somebody and talking it through to where those feelings aren’t as strong as they were prior to picking up the phone and making a connection with us.”

As technology has become a greater part of communication, Vavra said she recommends talking with someone about the various Student Counseling Services options.

“We’re a counseling agency, so obviously we’re strong advocates for people actually verbally talking out what’s going on with them as much as they can,” Vavra said. “Whether that translates to either somebody coming in for services and sitting with a therapist or being in a group or a workshop or calling the HelpLine and actually talking that out verbally.”

Suicide is 100 percent preventable according to Alicia Steinley, health senior and President of Active Minds, an organization that aims to increase student’s awareness of mental health issues and provide resource.

“Suicide prevention is very important to me because I lost my dad to suicide when I was 15, so ever since then I’ve been focusing on trying to better the lives of people around me and focusing on suicide prevention in my own community,” Steinley said.

Active Minds members complete suicide prevention training through the Student Counseling Services and are helping host the Suicide Awareness Walk, according to Steinley. Additionally, the organization facilitates the “1,100 Flags” event in which Academic Plaza is covered in pink flags, each representing a college student who has committed suicide in the past year.

“We want to make it known how big of a deal it is because I don’t think that a lot of people know and they brush it off, but rates for college students are really high,” Steinley said.

If you or someone you know needs to access resources for suicide prevention, call the A&M Student Counseling Services HelpLine at 979-845-2700 for free services from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. weekdays and 24 hours a day on weekends.

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THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the 2018 fall semester and 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.

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Political science sophomore Regan Thompson organized Beto O’Rourke’s town hall in College Station.

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Notice of University Student Rule Revisions Additions, deletions and changes to the University Student Rules may occur over the course of the year.

The following student rules have been revised: Rule # 24 26 27 47

Rule Student Conduct Code Student Conduct Proceedings Sanctions Investigation and Resolution of Complaints Against Texas A&M Students for Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Stalking and Related Retaliation (SSDDSR)

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of higher education for every Texan, regardless of their means or their income, and is an investment that Texas can lead the way in making to ensure that we get the maximum productivity and potential out of every single person in this state and this country.”

According to O’Rourke, the state needs to stop the modern day slavery and human trafficking that is taking place along the Texas-Mexico border.

“We’ve got to get behind those 20,000 border patrol agents who protect this country and every single community,” O’Rourke said. “What we do not need is a wall that will not be built on the international boundary, which is the centerline of the Rio Grande River. That’s not where they’re going build the wall folks — they’re going to build it on your ranch, on your farm, on your home, on your private property, miles into the interior of the United States.”

O’Rourke said he intends to take a fiscally conservative approach by changing current government spending habits.

“I think we are the most conservative candidate and the most conservative campaign,” O’Rourke said. “I’m trying to make the moral argument to you and I’m also trying to lay the fiscal logic, by investing in Pre-K for $10 thousand versus keeping

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someone in prison for $22 thousand. Paying $14.50 for outpatient mental healthcare versus $400 a night to lock someone up for their schizophrenia when they cannot be treated in this country.”

President of the Aggie Democrats and political science sophomore Regan Thompson was one of the organizers of the town hall. Thompson said he supports O’Rourke because he believes he will truly represent his constituents after election.

“I love that it’s a grassroots campaign,” Thompson said. “He doesn’t take any money from super PACs or anything like that.

After hearing him speak, I think that everyone can attest that he’s just a guy who really cares about the people he represents.

You don’t get that from Cruz. What you get from Cruz is somebody that’s going to run for president in 2020.”

Bryan-College Station resident Irma Pineda said she knows O’Rourke will have to compromise in order to get things done, and she intends to support him when he does.

“I see the big divide in our nation right now, and I felt like Beto is refreshing,” Pineda said. “He’s not trying to divide us, he’s trying to unite us, whatever party we’re from. It seems to me like he’s appealing to both sides, and he knows that not one side is right and one side is wrong — we have to meet somewhere in the middle.”

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Unified voice for change Survivors of sexual assault at A&M come together to make a difference

By Harismitha Ayyappan @HarismithaA As Texas A&M moves forward with adjustments to its sexual misconduct investigation policies, a group of Aggies are continuing their effort to amplify the voices of survivors.

The 12th Woman is an organization of current and former students seeking changes in the way that A&M handles cases of sexual assault on campus. The group includes survivors of sexual assault and women who want to see A&M become a national leader in policies that prevent and properly address sexual assault.

Abbie Hillis, Class of 2012 and a founding member of 12th Woman, said the organization was formed this summer after survivors began speaking out about their experiences online.

“We started a Facebook group and we all started sharing our stories and then that group grew to be over 300 people and from that group we consolidated the stories where we had proof that we could go to A&M and tell A&M where they had gone wrong in their procedures and sanctioning with some sexual assault cases,” Hillis said. “From there we started the 12th Woman.”

Kirsten Covington, political science junior and student liaison of the 12th Woman, said she wanted to ensure other students did not have to go through what she experienced in the sexual reporting process.

“I had gone through the university and they hadn’t ended up finding him responsible,” Covington said. “My next response was to go to the police department and file a report there, but I had signed a waiver that I wasn’t going to press charges, I just wanted something on file.

I continued to see him in church and I was not able to get a protective order because we had no domestic relationship and I never received any kind of justice, so I saw an opportunity to change that for the next generation of girls.”

Communication senior and 12th Woman member Nikki Platamone said speaking with university leaders was a major stepping stone in the organization’s mission.

“We were super pumped that we got this meeting with A&M administrators and that they were finally able to hear us out and the chancellor, John Sharp, and the president, Michael Young, ended up showing up,” Platamone said. “To know that all these top officials were all sitting there listening to our stories and clearly showing concern for it, that was definitely a pivotal point. From that point on we were all very cohesive and on the same page.”

In an effort to identify and address potential issues in A&M’s handling of sexual misconduct cases, University President Michael K. Young ordered internal and external reviews of Title IX policies in June, which resulted in 11 policy changes announced in August. The university is continuing to act on recommendations made during the review process.

Hillis said the 12th Woman also had the opportunity to provide input on changes at the national level.

“Originally, our plan was to just demand change from Texas A&M, but what ended up happening is we got national attention and then we ended up being able to back a bunch of legislation into Congress that was presented this session,” Hillis said. “Congressman Ted Poe’s office had been writing a few different bills to present and submit to Congress on the issue. He reached out to us and asked if the 12th Woman would be willing to represent and back these bills.”

The next step for the organization is to remain informed and continue to demand meaningful change, according to Hillis.

“The policies and procedures mean nothing if the culture’s not there and the implementation is not there,” Hillis said. “What we need to do as a student body and as alumni is continue to demand implementation, and to check in with them.”

VIZ LAB CONTINUED department head, the studio facilitates work and exhibition space while its location allows for more contact with the public, especially during First Fridays and Third Thursday Art Step events. The lab presented physical pieces from assistant professor Jinsil Hwaryoung Seo’s Form, Installation, Environment class. Jenks said showing off these particular works helped demonstrate the diversity of viz lab creations.

“It’s not always on the computer,” Jenks said. “Folks think of us, they think animated movies, it’s certainly one of the major things, but that’s not all… things come out of the computer and have physical form.”

Meg Cook, third year master of fine arts (MFA) student,

Courtesy

The 12th Woman organization represented congressman Ted Poe’s bills when he presented them to Congress, working to reach their goal of creating national change.

said she enjoys the studio because she’s able to watch her peers work or get instant critique on her own work. Cook also emphasized the importance of the workspace for long-term projects.

“You can leave your stuff,” Cook said. “[The A&M] campus doesn’t give you the environment to camp out and work on stuff, you have to move when another class comes in. This has been really nice because if you’re an MFA student, you get assigned a place where you can leave your stuff and you don’t have to move out constantly.”

Dean Zhu, second year MFA student, said the project he intends to develop for Seo’s class will be different from the tabletop miniatures he was presenting on Friday. Zhu said he will be working on a helmet inspired by German sculptor Julian Voss-Andreae’s quantum sculptures, which appear to vanish as

viewers’ perspectives change. His concept is to have a helmet that vanishes but also reveals another shape within. “[A quantum sculpture] is already perforated, this is already a lot of negative space,” Zhu said. “What if I put a secondary sculpture inside that negative space? What if I built it in the shape of a skull? Professor Seo has suggested that I actually scale that up to a wearable size.”

Jenks said this studio will continue to offer students a chance to develop new projects and showcase their work for the public.

“For [MFA] students, it gives them context that they can execute their work and have the opportunity to show it,” Jenks said. “It’s a stepping stone for them. Helps them get used to that idea, I can’t overstress being able to open the doors to the public and have the public see what’s going on.”

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM SATURDAY’S GAME AGAINST THE TIGERS

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Photos by Cassie Stricker and Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

1. Texas A&M Head Coach Jimbo Fischer argues with a referee after a controversial call in the final minutes of the game. 2. Sophomore Justin Madubike earned the first sack of the season against Clemson in the first quarter. 3. Sophomore Kellen Mond being protected from the Tiger defense by an offensive lineman. 4. Sophomore Kendrick Rogers led the Aggies in receptions with seven.

What we learned from Texas A&M’s loss to No. 2 Clemson

1

The real Jimbo Fisher era began on Saturday, Sept. 8.

With the 59-7 domination over Northwestern State last week, there wasn’t much of a gauge as to how far the A&M program has come since Fisher took over the program. National championship winner Dabo Swinney’s visit to Kyle Field was the first true test of the program’s progress. The Aggies might not have prevailed on the field, but they were able to prove to the nation they are a force to be reckoned with.

For Fisher, this game is just the start of something better.

“I think you can see the chance in this team that we can have,” Fisher said.

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Young wide receiving corps?

No problem.

The top three leading receivers on the team were all true sophomores. Kendrick Rogers was Mond’s biggest target in the game with seven receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns, including the potentially game-tying touchdown on the goal line with 26 seconds left in the game.

“When I saw the ball get tipped I was kind of worried honestly,” Rogers said. “But I just kept fighting for the ball and made a great catch.”

3

Kellen Mond is QB1 One play silenced those who still doubted Jimbo Fisher’s decision to name sophomore quarterback Mond the starter over red shirt sophomore Nick Starkel. In the third quarter, Mond was forced to exit the game for one play after a leg cramp. In that one play, Starkel fumbled the ball, which was intercepted in mid-air. The fumble later resulted in a Clemson touchdown.

Even with the mistake, Mond said he completely believes in Starkel’s ability to come in at any moment and play.

“I always feel confident in Nick and the ball in his hands,” Mond said. But it was Mond’s poise in the fourth quarter that truly cemented him as the main man under center. With 104,000-plus in the stands screaming and an All-American defense to contend with, Mond was composed and calculated as he went through his progressions to find the right receivers and make plays.

By Angel Franco

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2018 AGGIELAND It’s not too late to order your copy of the 2018 Aggieland, a photojournalistic record of the 2017-2018 school year. The 116th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook.

Go Online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613 to make your purchase. $75.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee)

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