Issuu

Silver Taps Kyle Alan Novikoff 12/26/97 — 2/13/18

Matthew Austin Gaikema 3/21/95 — 2/4/18

TUESDAY NIGHT WE HONOR THE FALLEN when 10:30 p.m. Tuesday where Academic Plaza

Marc Portell Elizondo 11/4/98 — 1/11/18

December 26, 1997 - February 13, 2018

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.

March 21, 1995 - February 4, 2018

Kyle Alan Novikoff

Matthew Austin Gaikema

A talented musician and dedicated friend, loved by all who knew him

A student who created a caring connection with friends, family through his humor

Kyle Novikoff’s selflessness and drive to succeed will continue to inspire his loved ones for years to come.

Dedicated and devoted to serving others, Matthew will be remembered for his warming, selfless spirit. COURTESY

By Megan Rodriguez @ MeganLRodriguez

yle Novikoff ’s musical talents, love for learning and giving spirit will remain forever in the hearts of his loved ones.

Ever since he was in 10th grade, Kyle dreamed of becoming an Aggie to study aerospace engineering — a goal he was actively working toward as a general engineering sophomore. However, Kyle’s interests spanned far beyond the classroom. In his spare time, he taught himself Japanese and composed his own music. While Kyle’s many talents were impressive, his desire to help others succeed is what continues to resonate in the memories of his friends and family today. Kyle worked tirelessly to learn Japanese and received the opportunity

to put his skills to use when his family took a trip to Japan. His father, Jason Novikoff, and mother, Ashley Novikoff, said Kyle helped them navigate the country during the family vacation. “We went to a little cafe that was attached to a meat market,” Jason said. “He helped us pick things off the menu by reading it, and the owner of the shop was curious as to how we got there. She was really excited that he could talk to her and that she could find out where we came from and how far we came and why we went up there. She was just really excited and said, ‘Send all your friends to see me.’” The extraordinary trips around the world were unforgettable, but Jason said some of his favorite memories of Kyle are from everyday moments, such as when he played his favorite instrument. While Kyle was a talented drummer in high school, he had a passion for the piano. “We’d hear it all throughout the day. A lot of times it wasn’t just composing,

COURTESY

By Kenya Robinson @_KenyaJ

ith a unique sense of humor and a love for running, Matthew Gaikema will be remembered as an amazing mathematician, a dog lover and a young man who welcomed everyone in his presence and made any person feel special.

Matthew loved caring for others — an action of his which was apparent through his constant ministry at Kingsland Baptist Church’s special needs program. His mother, Wende Gaikema, said she will never forget the time Matthew decided to bring his dog to church in order to put a smile on the other children’s faces. “I have a lifetime of Matt memNOVIKOFF ON PG. 4

ories,” Wende said. “Most recently, the Sunday before he left for school, he had asked that we bring his dog, Apple, to serve in the special needs room at church where he had volunteered throughout high school. Many of them remember Matt from when he served there and it was so sweet to see them light up at his presence.” Eliot Guerin, civil engineering senior, said Matt was the funniest person he ever knew. According to Eliot, a big part of Matt’s legacy was his contribution to the Aggies Memes for Redass Teens Facebook page, which gained several thousand members throughout the fall of 2017. With his clever contributions, Matthew was bound to make any person laugh. “By moderating the page and posting original memes, he created an alternative, do-it-yourself source of comedy for all A&M students,” Eliot said. “The recent satirical campaign for Jeff Zhao as Student Body President started on the page, gained over GAIKEMA ON PG. 4

Holi celebration brings splash of color to campus Traditional Hindu festival marks the start of spring By Jordan Burnham @RJordanBurnham

Dalia Muayad — THE BATTALION

Students celebrate Holi, a Hindu holiday, with a festival of colors on Simpson Drill Field.

Bright colors filled the air as people from all walks of life danced and celebrated the festival of Holi. Despite a short rain shower, students held Holi 2018 on Simpson Drill field

last Sunday. Holi is a Hindu spring festival of colors which celebrates and welcomes all people. Samosas, a traditional Indian snack, were given out for attendees to enjoy, and music blasted through campus. The Indian Graduate Student Association (IGSA), India Association (IA) and Hindu Students Association (HSA) worked together to host Holi. On a campus full of taditions, all were invited to celebrate one from the other side of the world.

One could hear students running up to each other and saying, “Happy Holi” before throwing colorful powder into the air. Taylor Messinger, manufacturing and engineering technology senior, said she enjoyed the unique, energetic atmosphere of the celebration. “I think it’s really cool that strangers come up to you and put color on your face,” Messinger said. “The first time that ever happened to me I was really surprised, and then I just embraced it HOLI ON PG. 3

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Editor-in-Chief

BATTALION THE

The IndependenT STudenT VoIce of TexaS a&M SInce 1893

Fall 2018 –Spring 2019 (The fall and spring editor will oversee print and digital editions, and serve Aug. 13, 2018, through May 13, 2019)

Qualifications for editor-in-chief of The Battalion are: REQUIRED • Be a Texas A&M student in good standing with the University and enrolled in at least six credit hours (4 if a graduate student) during the term of office (unless fewer credits are required to graduate); • Have at least a 2.25 cumulative grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) and at least a 2.25 grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) in the semester immediately prior to the appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during the term of office. In order for this provision to be met, at least six hours (4 if a graduate student) must have been taken for that semester. PREFERRED • Have completed JOUR 301 or COMM 307 (Mass Communication, Law, and Society) or equivalent; • Have at least one year experience in a responsible editorial position on The Battalion or comparable daily college newspaper, – OR – Have at least one year editorial experience on a commercial newspaper, – OR – Have completed at least 12 hours in journalism, including JOUR 203 (Media Writing I) and JOUR 303 (Media Writing II) or JOUR 304 (Editing for the Mass Media), or equivalent.

Application forms should be picked up from and returned to Douglas Pils, Student Media General Manager, in Suite L410 of the MSC. Deadline for submitting application: 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, 2018.

THE TEXAS A&M STUDENT MEDIA BOARD INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR

Thanks to the work of dedicated scientists and craftsmen, visitors to the George Bush Presidential Library can step into the past to see Leonardo da Vinci’s vision of the future. Machines in Motion, an interactive exhibit originally located in Florence, Italy, has migrated to Aggieland and will be on display until Jan. 6, 2019. The exhibit opened earlier this month and features several of da Vinci’s designs ranging from an automated robot to a machine gun. All designs are arranged by the categories of water, earth, fire and air. The exhibit displays machines originally designed by da Vinci, according to David Anaya, director of marketing and communications for the Bush Library. “The exhibit consists of 37 different machines that were created from the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci,” Anaya said. “They were put together by craftsmen using the same materials and tools that would have been available during his time.” Anaya said while he recognizes the importance of all the different inventions displayed, there is one that stands

out as a favorite. “Being prior military, I like the tank,” Anaya said. “It’s the biggest thing in there. It’s very interesting to see. Does it look like a tank of today? No, but when you’re looking at it you can kind of see how there was a concept of it — and a pretty good working concept if you ask me.” Curator Susie Cox said the Bush Library was a logical home for the exhibit due to Texas A&M’s sizeable student population and emphaKevin Chou — THE BATTALION sis on engineering. “This exhibit seemed George H.W. Bush Presidential Library will to be a perfect fit for our be displaying the Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in community, since we Motion through Jan.6, 2019. are located on the campus of Texas A&M, a I think it’ll help some people discover leading engineering school,” Cox said. a lot.” Anaya said the interactive experiSarah Akhtar, finance sophomore, ence is one of the aspects that will help said she was astonished by da Vinci’s da Vinci’s creations resonate with peoinfluence in the world today. ple’s interests and understanding of his “I think the bike and printing press vast designs. were my favorite things on display,” “A lot of the things in the exhibit Akhtar said. “They reminded me of are things that are recognizable in our how much we can take things in our society today,” Anaya said. “To be able day to day lives for granted. It’s specto see how they transitioned in their intacular to think about how much this fancy untill now, I think it is something one man impacted generations after his a lot of people can learn a lot from. To own time.” get their hands on these things, and to be able to move some of these exhibits,

New ways to improve the fashion world

Eight Aggies rewarded for digital experience projects By Samantha Mahler @mahlersamantha

Putting their education and creativity to work, students from Mays Business School designed innovative experiences for fashion retailers in a nationwide scholarship competition. During the fall of 2017, 12 Texas A&M business students participated in the national YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund. YMA is an educational non-profit whose purpose is to provide career opportunities and financial support to students interested in a career in fashion. Out of the 12 Aggies that participated, eight went on to win $5,000 scholarships for their work. In order for A&M students to participate, they must spend a semester in the Advanced Retail Case Study course taught by executive professor Cheryl Bridges. During this time, students performed primary and secondary research to support their case study. “Students say doing this case study, whether they win the scholarship or not, prepares them for the real world of business,” Bridges said. “Major companies in retailing, advertising, design and fashion support the organization and recognize the work that goes into completing the case studies.” A&M has been participating in the FSF case study competition for seven years. Participants compete against other students from major business and fashion design universities, including Harvard University and Parsons School of Design. “It’s really neat that us business students get to come represent, but also being from the South [because] it’s not typical up there. It’s a lot of East Coast schools,” marketing junior Payton Cupstid said. Students who advance in the com-

Brandon Holmes — THE BATTALION

(Left) Senior supply chain management major, Annika Neldeberg, and (right) senior marketing major, Payton Cupstid, won scholarships from the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund.

petition attend an awards ceremony in New York City, where they are able to network with industry professionals. Bridges said even if a student does not win a scholarship, they still have impressive work to include in their portfolio. “It’s important that students are involved with educational opportunities such as FSF, not only because of the discipline to complete the project, but also because this particular one is done individually,” Bridges said. The 2017 prompt required students to pick a retailer and come up with a digital in-store experience. Cupstid was the only participant in the competition to receive a $15,000 scholarship for a perfect score on her work. “I chose Nordstrom and my concept was virtually transforming the fitting room,” Cupstid said. “The idea was that you would have a panel in the fitting room and digitally select where you want to be.” Annika Neldeberg, supply chain management senior, designed a concept called “climate adventures” for Recreational Equipment Inc. in which customers can virtually test out their

clothes in the elements. She said she enjoyed the practical experience that came with the project. “We had to do the financials, just like any other business, just to show that it was viable and that it would be a good investment,” Neldeberg said. The students spent hours researching and revising their work. Cupstid said the biggest takeaway from participating in FSF was learning firsthand that success is not a straight line. “I think being successful, especially in a creative environment, you can’t have this one-minded thought,” Cupstid said. “There’s so much that you can do to revise and make it better.” By having a creative retail idea and combining it with her passion for sports, Neldeberg produced a winning case study, which she said will speak volumes when applying for jobs. “It’s something that is so applicable to business and that’s something I like,” Neldeberg said. “For it all to come together, because all of the work from our case studies and Mrs. Bridges, it was amazing to have that satisfaction and belief that we made it.”

Editor

BATTALION THE

Machines in Motion is an interactive exhibit of the Italian’s designs By Diana Paredes @paredesaguilera

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The Battalion | 3.5.18

Serving TexaS a&M UniverSiTy Since 1893

Summer 2018

(The summer editor will oversee print, digital and special editions, and will serve May 15, 2018, through Aug. 13, 2018)

THE TEXAS A&M STUDENT MEDIA BOARD INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR

Editor

Aggieland 2019

Qualifications for editor-in-chief of the Aggieland yearbook are:

REQUIRED • Be a Texas A&M student in good standing with the University and enrolled in at least six credit hours (4 if a graduate student) during the term of office (unless fewer credits are required to graduate); • Have at least a 2.25 cumulative grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) and at least a 2.25 grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) in the semester immediately prior to the appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during the term of office. In order for this provision to be met, at least six hours (4 if a graduate student) must have been taken for that semester; PREFERRED • Have completed JOUR 301 or COMM 307 (Mass Communication, Law, and Society); • Have demonstrated ability in writing, editing and graphic design through university coursework or equivalent experience; • Have at least one year experience in a responsible position on the Aggieland or comparable college yearbook.

Brad Morse, Editor in Chief Gracie Mock, Managing Editor Sarah East, Social Media Editor Anthony Pangonas, SciTech Editor Angel Franco, Sports Editor Luke Henkhaus, News Editor Megan Rodriguez, News Editor

Sanna Bhai, Special Sections Editor Kenya Robinson, Life & Arts Editor Cassie Stricker, Photo Editor Tenoch Aztecatl, Multimedia Editor Liang Zhao, Page Designer Devon McGarvey, Page Designer

THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the 2018 spring semester and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer session (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.

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The Battalion | 3.5.18

Participant research work tackles issue of food insecurity A&M students work together to understand the role of religious institutions in feeding Brazos County By Jordan Burnham @RJordanBurnham Food insecurity in Brazos County is statistically higher than the rest of Texas, which opens doors for research by students at Texas A&M. “Overchurched, Underfed” is a research project under the Aggie Research Scholars Program which seeks to examine the impact of religion on food provision in Brazos County. The project has been ongoing since the spring of 2017 and currently consists of a team of eight undergraduate students led by Andrew McNeely, sociology Ph.D. student. The team partakes in participant observation work at five food banks in Brazos County. According to McNeely, Brazos County has a 22 percent food insecurity rate — significantly higher than the rest of Texas, which averages only 15 percent. He said Brazos County also has a high concentration of religious congregations, around 200, all concentrated within ten kilometers of Texas Avenue and University Drive. “This is super interesting,” McNeely said. “If we can reasonably assume that all of these different religious groups have some kind of mandate to feed the hungry, why do we have so many hungry people in this county?” These statistics became the initial start of the research, but McNeely said the number of religious bodies in an area has nothing to do with the number of food insecure people in an area. “There’s something else going on, and that’s what the rest of

the project is all about,” McNeely said. “Being involved with these food pantries and actually going to them, doing what’s called participant observation work, and collecting information, collecting our observations and analyzing them in a broad sweep rather than just with statistical information.” The team began by examining how many religious groups are involved with programs that feed people. They found that only 40 religious groups are actively involved, and there are only nine agencies actually providing food. McNeely said this is because most groups are involved with something called a parachurch, which is an entity that involves cooperating religious organizations across denominations. “This whole area has an interesting religious and social sort of equation going on, and that’s what we are trying to investigate and unravel,” McNeely said. Sociological research is unique to other sciences, said McKenzie Horwitz, Class of 2017 and a previous team member on the project. “We don’t really go into an environment with a hypothesis — with a direct relationship that we’re trying to prove or disprove,” Horwitz said. “We are kind of just describing an environment and trying to draw out theory and make observations from it.” This project also has a significant impact on undergraduates who participate, such as Sarah McKeen, political science and sociology junior. “I picked up a sociology major because of the project,” McKeen said. “It’s my favorite thing that I’ve done while an undergrad.” Being involved in a research project that addresses an issue such as food insecurity and also allows community engagement, is an aspect Horwitz said she likes. “As students at Texas A&M, we kind of have our bubble on campus and we forget that we’re a part of a larger commu-

Casey Dawson — THE BATTALION

Aggie Research Scholars Program is investigating the relationship between religious communities and food insecurity rates in Brazos County.

nity, so it’s kind of a good way to get insight into the broader community and understand the challenges people face in Bryan-College Station beyond the student body,” Horwitz said. The research project is a form of service learning, which means the things researchers are learning about food insecurity are used to help wherever they can, according to McNeely. Horwitz said a lot of students aren’t aware of the fact food insecurity can affect college students as well as members of the Bryan-College Station community. “I will say that conducting studies like this, that do have that focus, are really important for visibility,” Horwitz said. “Visibility is a really essential first step to addressing big issues like food insecurity.”

HOLI CONTINUED and thought it was really neat how all of these strangers are coming together and having fun.” Holi is a festival which originates from Hindu religious tradition, according to Pranathi Gompa, IGSA president and construction management graduate student. “There are multiple legends behind why we celebrate it,” Gompa said. “One of them is that one of the gods has returned home after killing the devil of that era. So with his return, we celebrate it with colors, and that’s how we celebrate Holi. These days, it’s basically everyone meeting and they play with colors and it’s just fun.” Even back in India, the festival is celebrated by people across all religions, Gompa said. Hemik Parikh, industrial engineering graduate student, is the vice president of public relations for ISGA and has celebrated Holi in India since he was 15 years old. “There are two parts of Holi basically in India,” Parikh said. “On the day before we celebrate the color festival, we have a whole huge bonfire and it is a religious resemblance, and we actually light the fire as a way to ask the gods to be with us. And on the second day, a new season begins and we start celebrating with the color festivals.” Though he has participated in the festival for years, Parikh said his favorite Holi cel-

ebration has been during his time at A&M. “It brings diversity into the picture and we are blessed that we can do something like this at Texas A&M,” Parikh said. A&M has welcomed and embraced the festival each year, according to management information system graduate student and event coordinator Vamsi Immadi. “It’s a home away from home and we feel like we are home because of the inclusiveness that A&M gives us,” Immadi said. “This is our chance to showcase that togetherness and celebrate it.” This year, the coordinators were able to secure sponsors for the event, which allowed more snacks and drinks to be provided. Improvements to sustain the event for a longer period of time were also made, and large packets of color were given to participants, Parikh said. Even as the rain began to fall on the festival, people danced, laughed and celebrated. Jess Gagnon, first time attendee and athletic assistant, said she was excited to participate in the festival. “I think events like this are really neat,” Gagnon said. “We get to celebrate all of the different students that are on campus and get exposed to really neat, awesome traditions that really celebrate everyone.”

Dalia Muayad — THE BATTALION

In India, people of all religions celebrate Holi. It is not reserved for those of the Hindu faith.

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The Battalion | 3.5.18

NOVIKOFF CONTINUED

The Greek Former Student Network, The Association of Former Students and the Student Activities Office at Texas A&M University are proud to honor the success of our Aggie Greeks. The Aggie Greek Awards Banquet was held on Friday, March 2 at the Bethancourt Ballroom in the Memorial Student Center, and we would like to congratulate all of this year’s winners!

President’s Award for Outstanding Greek Ambassador Brianna Moreno ’19 – Gamma Phi Omega

Sorority Woman of the Year

Ramie Zenner ’18 – Alpha Chi Omega

Fraternity Man of the Year

Jake Steen ’19 – Phi Gamma Delta

Sorority Advisor of the Year Jennifer Ford ’99 – Delta Gamma

Fraternity Advisor of the Year

Cruz A. Ríos ’11 – Beta Tau Omega, Gamma Beta, Omega Delta Phi

IFC Chapter of the Year

NPHC Chapter of the Year

CPC Chapter of the Year

MGC Chapter of the Year

Pi Kappa Phi

Sigma Gamma Rho

Alpha Epsilon Phi

Sigma Lambda Gamma

Chapter Outstanding Community Relations Award Delta Gamma

CPC Rising Star

Kate Molina ’20 – Alpha Delta Pi

NPHC Rising Star

Tomi Asekun ’18 – Alpha Kappa Alpha

IFC Rising Star

Preston DeJong ’19 – Alpha Gamma Rho

MGC Rising Star

Edgar Mancia ’19 – Sigma Lambda Beta

Chapter Loyalty Award Delta Gamma

Chapter Excellence Award Lambda Theta Alpha

Chapter Integrity Award Delta Gamma

Chapter Leadership Award

he was running through the songs he knew,” Jason said. “He even learned the Linus and Lucy song [from Charlie Brown] for his mom.” When Kyle moved to College Station, he lived off campus. This allowed him to keep a piano nearby at all times, giving him the opportunity to continue creating his own original work. “He continued playing piano away at college,” Jason said. “One of the songs that he really loved he actually composed during his freshman and sophomore years, during 2016 and 2017.” Madeline Parkison, civil engineering sophomore, had known Kyle since first grade and said while he was known for being a gifted musician, he will also be remembered as someone who cared deeply for those around him. “I really struggled with calculus in high school and he helped me with that,” Parkison said. “He was a very giving person … When I had questions, he was always helped me out, whether it was school projects or anything, he always just very helpful to others. He wanted to be successful and wanted others to be successful as well.” Parkison said it was Kyle’s competitive, yet caring, attitude that pushed her to improve herself. “He had a very compet-

Courtesy

Kyle Novikoff enjoys a Texas A&M football game with his parents, Jason and Ashley.

itive spirit,” Parkison said. “If you didn’t know him initially, you wouldn’t think that … He was competitive but he wants everyone to do their best. That really helped me push through that first year of engineering. He was there to help when I needed it but he also made me want to do better.” Parkison said she will always remember Kyle’s determination, a characteristic she will continue to apply in her own life. “I think he kind of taught me that you can do anything you set your mind to,” Parkison said. “For me, that’s really important. When he found something he really enjoyed he became really good at it, like engineering, drumline, anything. I think for me that’s what I would

carry on.” As Kyle’s family moves forward, Jason said he and Ashley will always treasure the time they had with Kyle. “The main thing we’re going to carry on is all the memories of adventures we had,” Jason said. “Japan was one of the trips but we went on quite a few trips so we experienced lots of vacations and cultures. We liked to go hiking wherever we went, we would find a place where we could kind of get out of where all the tourists were, see the nature and the country. We’re going to continue doing adventures and remembering him as we go. As we go on other adventures, we’ll remember that he liked this kind of thing and we’ll carry him in spirit with us.”

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Chapter Self less Service Award Alpha Kappa Alpha

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GAIKEMA CONTINUED 1,000 student votes, and is arguably the meme page’s biggest achievement.” Neil Doran, mechanical engineering senior, said Matthew could always put a unique spin on just about anything to incite laughter among his peers. As their friendship flourished since their time in first grade, Neil said he will cherish all of the good laughs Matthew has blessed him with. “Through his sense of humor that was so integral to his personality, it made everyone around him feel at ease and comfortable,” Neil said. “I always felt when I was around him I wouldn’t have to worry about saying something dumb or saying something weird because Matt would alway find a way to make it funny and make everyone laugh.” Throughout their time in high school, Sam Fuqua, petroleum engineering senior, said Matthew exhibited discipline towards his school work and the hard work he put in during training. “He had a more serious side, especially during training.” Sam said. “Growing up with him and then coming to A&M with him, I got to witness that more serious side, but he was always fun to be around. He knew how to get things done and he was just someone that was always there to help.” Daniel Wynalda, Matthew’s cousin, said Matthew

courtesy

Matthew Austin Gaikema is pictured with his parents, Jeff and Wende, and his two brothers, Grant and Andrew.

was ready to outthink and outsmart everyone when they were growing up. Reflecting on times of the past, Daniel said he feels grateful he was able to witness how Matthew grew into an exceptional young man. “Matthew was always quick,” Daniel said. “A quick runner, a quick thinker, quick witted and fast to the joke. When the cousins were young, it was his running that made him the first pick in capture the flag and made him so successful as a runner. As he got older, it was his intelligence and wit that brightened up our family gatherings. Matt’s quickness will be dearly missed. Our family will never be the same.” Noticing that he loved to run as a child, Teresa Gaikema, Matthew’s aunt, said she knew Matthew would eventually make a great run-

ner someday. “Most of my memories of Matthew are from when he was young,” Teresa said. “The one that comes to mind first and foremost is the way he couldn’t help himself but run on his tippy toes. I remember his mom mentioning how it somewhat concerned her. But we would laugh and enjoy watching him just ‘fly around.’ Now I know it’s because he loved the feeling of the air even underneath his feet as he would run. Run, Matthew. Run, my little buddy. You are loved, and you are missed.”