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MAN ON A MISSION Outfielder Blake Kopetsky returns for fifth season with added leadership, motivation By Heath Clary @Heath_Clary
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lake Kopetsky saw his baseball life flash before his eyes last year. As a senior in 2016, Kopetsky injured his arm on opening weekend while diving for a ball in pregame warmups. The torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder required surgery and an arduous rehab process. He graduated from Texas A&M last May and pondered giving up baseball for good. Then he thought better of it, enrolled in graduate school and decided to come back for his redshirt senior season. The result has been an incredibly motivated leader who ea-
Cushing home to maps of fantasy worlds
Spencer Russo — THE BATTALION
The maps on display include ones from well-known books, films and shows such as “The Hobbit” and “Game of Thrones.”
By Alice Corcoran @AliceJ_Corcoran Cushing Library houses the world’s second largest collection of science fiction and fantasy works, including first edition novels of J.R.R Tolkien and numerous manuscripts by George R.R. Martin. On Feb. 9, the library opened its new display, “Worlds Imagined: The Maps of Imaginary Places Collection,” allowing a visual element to be placed alongside the many fantasy worlds that can be found in Cushing. The project was a joint effort between Cushing and Evans libraries. Jeremy Brett, the Science Fiction and Fantasy collection curator at Cushing library, and Sierra Laddusaw, map librarian at the Maps & GIS Library
in Evans, noticed popularity within the libraries’ map collections. They decided to begin collecting more, birthing the idea for the “Worlds Imagined” display. “Worlds Imagined” contains many unique maps, including works directly from the authors and fanart. “A really interesting map is the ‘Fairyland map,’” Laddusaw said. “It’s from 1925 so it’s a second edition, and every folklore is represented. You have Little Red Riding Hood over here and Rapunzel over there … We also have a Pokémon map, a Zelda map. There’s a National Geographic map of pantheon mythology. We love maps; we went full cheese with it.” Laddusaw said she hopes the display encourages MAPS ON PG. 3
Lawrence Smelser — THE BATTALION
“I love where he is right now — he’s got a new lease on life.” Justin Seely, assistant coach
gerly awaits making an impact on the team he grew up rooting for as a young boy. “I figure I can’t play baseball forever, so I might as well give
it all I’ve got for one more year,” Kopetsky said. “I’ve been working really hard and hopefully it will pay off.” Whether it’s been his inspired play during practice and intrasquad scrimmages or the times he has gotten the Aggies up to the field to practice even on days coaches haven’t scheduled anything, Kopetsky has separated himself as one of the team’s top leaders. “It’s been nice having him back,” said sophomore third baseman George Janca. “He’s been around the program for three years now; he’s one of our older guys and he’s taken over the leadership role of getting us where we need to be and KOPETSKY ON PG. 4
Officer involved in shooting in Bryan By Megan Rodriguez @MeganLRodriguez A Bryan police officer was involved in a shooting with a 33-year-old black male on Feb. 12 at about 10:19 p.m. at the 5300 block of Mallard Drive, according to a Bryan Police Department press release. Officer Steven Laughlin and another officer were the first to arrive on the scene. They were advised by a woman that a man was in her home who was not supposed to be there. The female also told officers the man had been arrested before and his protective order had recently expired. While the officers were speaking to the female, the 33-year-old male, who has not been charged yet and as such will remain unidentified, approached the group. As Laughlin began to approach the man, the man placed his right hand into his back right pocket. Laughlin told the man to remove his hands from his pocket but the man refused and made multiple statements like “Are
Carlie Russell — THE BATTALION PROVIDED
Bryan police officer Steven Laughlin.
you ready?” and “I ain’t droppin’ nothing” while moving around the back side of the patrol vehicle. During the encounter, Laughlin kept the vehicle between himself and the man. According to the press release, the male moved toward the female but continued to ask Laughlin if he was ready. Laughlin told him, “Don’t do this” and the man responded “Do it man,” and continued to act like he was holding a gun. According to the press release, the man pulled a black object from his back pocket, took a shooting stance and pointed at Laughlin, who ducked for cover and fired his SHOOTING ON PG. 2
Paintings by retired professor Robert Schiffhauer featuring black leaders are on display on campus.
HISTORY PRESERVED Paintings of historic black leaders by retired A&M professor now on display in Architecture Building By Shelby Adamson @ShelbyPaige13 In conjunction with Black History Month, portraits of some of the country’s black leaders are currently on display in the Technical Reference Center in the College of Architecture. The Technical Reference Center, located in the College of Architecture in Langford, now displays artwork of the retired professor Robert Schiffhauer which focuses on significant historical figures. Schiffhauer and Susan Gordone, the wife of one of
the painting’s subjects Charles Gordone, reached out to Texas A&M representatives over the course of the past couple years to try and find a home on campus for the pieces of art. After not hearing back for some time, Gordone propositioned the College of Architecture to house the collection. “We wanted to celebrate his contribution to the college because he was important to the college, especially because his work helped us remember the legacy from unrepresented minorities from the PAINTINGS ON PG. 4
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