WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2017 STUDENT MEDIA | @THEBATTONLINE
(Left to right) Robert McIntosh, Bobby Brooks, Kilian Bresnahan and Ben Ikwuagwu participated in the student body president debate Tuesday night.
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Hanna Hausman — THE BATTALION
SBP candidates field questions on student services, diversity during Tuesday debate By Meredith McCown @meredithrhoads
T
he four candidates running for student body president lined a panel in a debate forum centered on questions submitted by fellow students Tuesday night. Hosted by the Election Commission of Student Government Association, the debate took place in the MSC Flag Room. The discussion was moderated by Greg Fink, Class of 2008 and student development specialist at the Department of Student Activities. Throughout the four rounds of questioning, the participants were given two minutes to answer the inquiries pertaining not only to general topics, but to each specific campaign platform as well. Candidates Robert McIntosh, Bobby Brooks, Kilian Bres-
nahan and Ben Ikwuagwu discussed their platforms and initiatives to lead the university for the 2017-2018 school year. Because the candidate’s publicized campaigns on social media can only convey their goals to a certain extent, Fink said it’s important to listen to the potential student body presidents state their claims in person as well. “Because their voice is more important than just what they have on their website, just what they have on their platform,” Fink said. “You finally get to know about their personality, you get to find out their passion, not just the words. And if you’re voting for someone, you want the whole picture, so you got the whole picture tonight.” Business honors junior and SGA election commissioner Rachel Keathley said she was appreciative of the attendance, along with overall outcome of the debate. “I’m really pleased with how it went. This seemed to be
one of the higher attended debates in years past and I’m glad students came out to learn about the candidates,” Keathley said. “I think we had a fair distribution of questions, and that the candidates got to really display their platforms and ideas through their answers.” Management junior Sam Alders said the candidate’s interpersonal communication with the student body for each respective campaign is important, and that he has witnessed each potential president grow in character throughout this process. “I think this event helps because you get to see the candidate’s faces themselves and you get to come away from this watching how they interact with one another and how they interact with the student body,” Alders said. “One thing that I will say … is that what you see here tonight is the SBP DEBATE ON PG. 2
COURTESY
President Donald Trump signed an executive order beginning the repeal of ObamaCare on Jan. 20.
Students, professor share concerns, hopes regarding ObamaCare repeal FILE
Alexander Jones was a political science junior and the 2016-2017 Aggie Band Command Sergeant Major.
Campus mourns death of incoming Band Commander By Luke Henkhaus @Luke_Henkhaus Alexander Jones, 2016-2017 Aggie Band Command Sergeant Major and incoming combined Band Commander was pronounced dead after a collision with an 18-wheeler on the evening of Feb. 18. As news of 20-yearold Jones’ death has spread across campus, several prominent figures within the Corps of Cadets and the Aggie Band have released statements describing the magnitude of the loss, the person Jones was and the commitment to stand together in the face of tragedy. In a statement released Monday, Commandant of the Corps of Cadets Joe E. Ramirez confirmed Jones’ death and expressed a sense of mourning and remembrance on behalf of the Corps. “All who knew Alex remember him as a sociable, confident young man who had a resilient work ethic and a good sense of humor,” Ramirez said. “He was a very well-liked young man, and his loss will affect all of us for a long time to come.” Ramirez extended condolences to Jones’ friends and family and emphasized the value of camaraderie in the face of such a loss. “We all stand together as Aggies today as we mourn the loss of one of our own,” Ramirez said. “Alex Jones will be missed by all of us. As an Aggie, I hope the Jones family will take solace in knowing that Alex will never be forgotten, and that the unique Aggie spirit of camaraderie that is such an integral part of Texas A&M and the Corps of Cadets will hold fast to support them in this very difficult time.” Aggie Band Director Timothy Rhea said Jones will be remembered by his fellow band members for his commitment and compassion. “His reputation as a person of integrity, his strong work ethic and his leadership in the Aggie Band will define our JONES ON PG. 3
By Madeline Brennan @MadKathBren After President Donald Trump’s consecutive rounds of executive orders this past month, A&M students and faculty weighed in about the supposedly imminent repeal of ObamaCare and what it could mean for student access to healthcare in the future. For students on ObamaCare to those that use university health insurance to the ones who rely on a guardian’s insurance, the Affordable Care Act repeal will have a varying effect
on their health care access in the future. Several Aggies shared their experiences with the Affordable Care Act, including its furthered protection for people with pre-existing conditions and its allowing for children to remain on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old. Alicia Bennett, education senior and cancer survivor, struggled with a rare type of sarcoma desmoid cancer for 6 years. The struggle ended in a surgery that removed her right arm, breast and chest wall. Bennett said she fears the impact of future health insurance changes, especially the struggle over ACA REPEAL ON PG. 4
Transportation Services partners with Zagster to begin bike share program By Rachel Knight @Reknight18 In order to provide an alternative mode of transportation on campus, A&M Transportation Services has contracted with a company called Zagster to implement a bike share program. The bike share program is a 24-hour service intended to help everyone get around quickly, efficiently and inexpensively on Texas A&M’s 5,200-acre campus. The bikes are checked out using smartphone technology or text messages with regular cell phones, and are equipped with proper safety lights, internal gears, a lock attached to the bike, front basket and bell. There are 75 Zagster bikes on campus and 10 Zagster bike racks strategically distributed across campus. Transportation Services pays $150 a year for each Zagster bike. Bikes can be rented hourly by individuals on campus for $3 per hour or with a $25 membership the first hour of each check out period is free. Ron Steedly manages alternative transportation for Transportation Services, and implemented the Zagster bike share program on campus. “Zagster is a bike share as a service,” Steedly said. “The fee is paid by the host to have bike share as a service, and then they do everything. Zagster likes to promote local, so they actually hired local contractors to help them implement bike share as a service. They chose Aggieland Cycling to be the ones that do the maintenance and the repair on the bikes.” Andrew Dobson, general manager and service manager at Aggieland Cycling, said Aggieland Cycling builds, repairs and maintains the bike share bikes. “We’ll do maintenance. Our goal is two times a month,
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Zagster’s bike share brings on-demand bike sharing to campus, allowing students to borrow bikes from 10 oncampus locations 24/7.
but at least once a month on each bike,” Dobson said. “We’ll do this so often to make sure no one is trying to ride a bike in the program and can’t because it is broken or not working properly.” BIKE SHARE ON PG. 3