The Battalion — July 20, 2022

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2022 STUDENT MEDIA

A&M NAMES NEXT CORPS COMMANDANT

Cameron Johnson-- THE BATTALION

Inside this edition: Summer Conditions pg. 2

BTHO Cancer pg. 4

Patrick Michaelis pg. 5

Exploring Identity pg. 6

NEWS

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The Battalion | 7.20.22

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

The sun sets behind the Academic Building amid triple-digit heat after weeks of record-breaking temperatures. Tuesday, July 19, 2022.

Scorching summer conditions to continue Bryan-College Station experiences record high temperatures

By Caroline Wilburn @Carolinewilb After a month of record-breaking high temperatures, the Bryan-College Station area heatwave continues to put pressure on Texas and its power grid.

Between Sunday, July 10 and Tuesday, July 12, College Station saw three of its hottest days since records began in 1888. Since then, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, has issued two conservation appeals urging the public to reduce power consumption. The extreme heat is predicted to continue for the rest of the month.

State climatologist and Texas A&M regents professor John Nielsen-Gammon said the high temperatures are the result of a combination of factors.

“We’ve had a dome of high pressure sitting over the southern [Great] Plains for a few days, and that causes air to essentially sit over land and heat up and keep recirculating rather than being replaced by fresher air from the tropics,” Nielsen-Gammon said.

Similar to the extreme heat recorded in the summer of 2011, Nielsen-Gammon said South Texas is once again experiencing a drought.

“[The drought] contributes to high temperatures because the ground heats up a lot more if there’s not any water to evaporate from it,” Nielsen-Gammon said.

Professor and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Service’s Smart Grid Center Director Thomas Overbye said with people using more air conditioning during the intense heat, Texas is experiencing a record high in electric loads.

Although the state’s power grid is strong and works well, Overbye said ERCOT depends heavily on wind and solar generation.

“There are these few situations where [it’s] really hot and there [isn’t] much wind,” Overbye said. “The people that run the [power] grid [at] ERCOT are working to address this by adding more generation to the grid.”

If a statewide blackout were to occur, Overbye said utilities have a procedure called “black start” to restore the power grid.

“During a black start, they will be able to rebuild the grid — and you rebuild the grid piece by piece,” Overbye said. “You start with a generator here, a generator there, and you gradually bring them back together. The utilities do training on this all the time, at least annually, on how to restore the grid. There are plans in place that if we ever had to restore the grid, we would know how to do it.”

Located on the RELLIS campus, Overbye said the Smart Grid Center does research to manage the power grid in order to make it more resilient to extreme weather.

“There’s research going on here at A&M that is helping to make the [power] grid better,” Overbye said. “We are also starting to add more storage and much of the storage is battery storage. That will help us out because then we can store electricity when the winds are blowing and use it when the winds aren’t blowing.”

During the high temperatures, Dr. Brandon Williams, clinical assistant professor and primary care physician at Texas A&M Health Family Care, said it is important to stay inside and remain hydrated.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘How much should I drink?’ and the newest guidelines are that if you’re thirsty, you should drink, and if you’re not thirsty, you shouldn’t,” Williams said. “If you’re outside, besides drinking enough water or other hydration, [make] sure you’re taking plenty of breaks — listen to your body.”

Williams said heat exhaustion is serious and is a result of the body being unable to handle the stress caused by the hot weather.

“Some symptoms are a really fast heart rate, feeling very weak,” Williams said. “Some people can be profoundly dehydrated, they have bad headaches. Classically, people describe horrible cramps and nausea and vomiting.”

If a person begins to show signs of heat exhaustion, Williams recommends finding shade and consuming cold liquids. If symptoms worsen, it is suggested to see a health professional, Williams said.

“People we see a lot of time in the hospital or the [emergency room] are folks that go from being inside all day to, for instance, taking a summer job, or starting a new workout routine, and they’re outside in the summer [heat] all day — those are the folks that typically end up really struggling,” Williams said.

“It’s not to say you can’t go outside, just make sure you’re building up your tolerance to the heat over time and not throwing yourself into the deep end from the beginning.”

Although the current heatwave is temporary, Nielsen-Gammon said high temperatures will most likely not recede until September.

“Once the high pressure moves away and we start getting more and more clean air from the tropics, we should return back to closer to normal summer temperatures,” Nielsen-Gammon said. “The Gulf of Mexico is warmer than normal, so probably we still will be on the warm side.”

As far as next year, Nielsen-Gammon said the summer of 2023 may resemble the current conditions.

“The same large-scale conditions that contributed to drought this year will still be in place next year,” Nielsen-Gammon said. “Of course, we also have a long-term warming trend due to climate change, which isn’t going to go away anytime soon. A lot is going to depend upon what actually ends up happening weather-wise between now and next summer.”

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NEWS

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The Battalion | 7.20.22

Brigadier General Patrick R. Michaelis to serve as 46th Corps Commandant full tradition that defines the Corps experience at A&M really shaped who I am today.”

Michaelis said he feels a special connection with Texas A&M, as he moved many times during his childhood and military career.

“I’m an army brat — this will be the 29th move I’ve done in 50 years,” Michaelis said.

By Kathryn Miller & Michaela “The longest place I ever lived was four years Rush of college at Texas A&M University. This is @KathrynMiller0 & @Michaela4Batt coming home, so there is a huge level of exAfter 30 years of military service, Brigadier citement in our family right now and we can’t General Patrick R. Michaelis is eager to return wait to get back.”

Michaelis said he looks forward to living in to Aggieland to serve as the 46th CommanTexas and is excited to come back to a comdant of the Corps of Cadets. munity that he said defines who he is.

Michaelis, Class of 1993 and member of the “I’m still here at Fort Jackson until the end E-1 company, will return to campus and begin his term as commandant on Oct 1. As his of August, and as I transition to Texas A&M, term begins, Michaelis reflected fondly on his it will be with a continued focus and commitment to the Army that will also be very experience as a cadet. “[I’m] pretty excited to come back to apparent in my role as the commandant when A&M. It’s been 30 years since I graduated I assume the position,” Michaelis said.

When he arrives in Aggieland, Michaelis as an E-1 jock from the Corps of Cadets in said he intends to focus on learning as he ac1993 and I first stepped on the quad as a young 17-year-old kid in 1989,” Michaelis said. “I climates to his new position.

“You will see me listening and learning think the experience that I had at A&M, the about the environment to understand what’s camaraderie of the friends that I developed happened within the Corps and within the there, the commitment to academics, and that university within the last three decades. The university has grown quite a bit,” Michaelis said. “I’m also focused on what I think is a very clear obKathryn Miller, Editor-in-Chief jective — the March to 3,000.

Getting the Corps to 3,000 Kyle McClenagan, News Editor Caleb Elizondo, Opinion Editor [members] to me is generating Caroline Wilburn, Asst. News Editor Ruben Hernandez, Asst. L&A Editor interest, recruiting, precision & Life & Arts Editor Ishika Samant, Social Media & marketing and targeted scholJordan Epp, Sports Editor Multimedia Editor Grant Gaspard, Asst. Sports Editor arship opportunities. I think it Zoe May, Social Media & Robert O’Brien, Photo Chief Multimedia Editor also means making sure we’ve Cameron Johnson, Asst. Photo Chief Jessica King, Design Editor got the right facilities and resources to support a Corps of THE BATTALION publishes daily at www.thebatt.com and in print every that size.” other Wednesday starting June 8 during the 2022 summer semester at Texas A&M Michaelis said he plans to University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center. amplify current priorities in the Corps and put a focus on News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media, a student organization. Newsroom phone: 979-845academics and diversity and 3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com. inclusion.

Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or “That is a powerful mesendorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display sage in the decision space of advertising call 979-845-2697. For classified advertising, call 979-845-2697. Office young men and women wanthours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email: battads@thebatt.com. ing to join to be a part of the Subscriptions: A part of the University Advancement Fee entitles each Texas A&M

Michaelis said he will be ‘listening, understanding, amplifying and adapting’ in new position

XX — THE BATTALION

Patrick Michaelis’s U.S. Army officer portrait. Michaelis has been chosen as the 46th Commandant of the Corps of Cadets.

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LIFE&ARTS

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The Battalion | 7.20.22

12th Man raises money to BTHO cancer Photo courtesy of Raquel Casares

As molecular and cellular biology junior Lorena Casares is battling a rare form of cancer, she is receiving classmate and alumni support through GoFundMe.

A&M student recieves donations for cancer treatment, support for family

By John Chapa @JDChapaBatt This summer, molecular and cellular biology junior Lorena Casares was three classes away from earning her Aggie Ring when she was abruptly diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare, genetic cancer.

On July 8, Lorena created a GoFundMe in order to help cover the costs of her cancer treatments, as well as expenses allocated to her family’s travels associated with visiting her.

After posting the fundraiser, the GoFundMe reached $10,000 overnight. As of July 18, she has raised more than double that with a total of $22,835.

“The donations not only provide reassurance that I will get the right treatment but that I’ll have my family by my side as well,” Lorena said. “My mom will now be able to stay with me. She won’t have to worry about money for hotels. My sister can now take off time to visit me. It’s made a world of difference.”

Lorena’s sister, Raquel, was emotional when sharing how much the support means to their family.

“It was amazing to see everybody from everywhere support her,” Raquel said. “The first morning after the GoFundMe went up, I had tears in my eyes. I couldn’t stop saying, ‘Wow, just wow.’ I was in awe of the number of donations.”

Economics and psychology junior Jasmine Cobb, one of Lorena’s closest friends, assisted in setting up her GoFundMe page. Lorena said she entrusted Jasmine because of the close

bond the two share through their academics and friendship.

Cobb said she can sum up the kind of person Lorena is in three words: hard-working, passionate and loving.

“Lorena has this amazing ability to set a goal and use any resource available to get it done,” Cobb said. “Something I’m eternally grateful for is her passion for the world and wanting to do better. It wasn’t until I met Lorena that I felt excited to learn. She also loves her friends so much. Whenever we needed her, she was there no matter what.”

Lorena will take a gap year in order to recover from her treatment, but said this will be unusual for her, as she is an avid learner. She credits one of her professors for her passion for learning about biology.

“I definitely want to shout out Dr. [Samantha] Fletcher from the biology department,”

Lorena said. “I went to her office hours twice a week to learn the material. When I sent her an email saying I need to talk to her, she was very reassuring and accommodating. Molecular and cellular biology was my favorite class. I have a new career to look into thanks to her.”

Lorena said she has gratitude to give out to everyone who donated and has never felt more proud to be an Aggie.

“Until this whole movement and receiving all of the support, I did feel a little excluded from the Aggie community,” Casares said. “So many of our donations are from the Class of [19]86 to now. Some donors have shared they are first-generation Aggies, or that they’re also an Aggie battling cancer. I definitely feel the community now.”

Lorena’s family said they will post updates for the barbecue plate fundraiser they are planning through social media and other platforms.

OPINION

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The Battalion | 7.20.22

Photo courtesy of Maya Pimentel

Mendhi tattoos on the hands of opinion writer Maya Pimentel in New Delhi, India. Nov.

Am I Indian enough?

A self-investigation into the line between cultural appropriation and appreciation

By Maya Pimentel @maya_pimentel

Aggieland Yearbok

Patrick Michaelis (right of center) during his time as the executive officer & recruiting officer of company E-1 in 1993.

CORPS CONTINUED Corps at A&M and also in their parents,” Michaelis said. “I think we’ve got an obligation to help cadets to be the best version of themselves, through academic assistance and through an inclusive cadet experience.”

To the incoming cadets of the Class of 2026, Michaelis said the Corps will transform their college experience at A&M and pave their way to a successful future.

“If you’re interested in a formative challenge, one that will positively shape the experience of your four years at A&M and prepare you for the future, whether it’s service to the nation or service to the country in a different way, look no further than the Texas Aggie

Corps of Cadets,” Michaelis said. “That’s the value proposition of the Corps. It produces leaders for the state and nation that are grounded in values and character.”

Outside of A&M, Michaelis said he looks forward to classic Texas cuisine.

“Every time I come back to Texas, the first thing I do is find a Whataburger,” Michaelis said. “And whenever I go to [College Station], I go hunt out Wings ‘N More. The cadet in me from 1989 to 1993 is super excited to be back at Aggieland. There is such a feeling of being home.”

I am an Indian who cannot speak Hindi. Actually, I should share the truth: I am a half-Indian who cannot speak Hindi.

Growing up, I never felt a need to embrace my Indian culture. I practiced kathak, ate my grandmother’s samosas and watched the occasional Bollywood film. I knew of Shah Rukh Khan and the story of the Bhagavad Gita, but that was it. My Indian culture felt like a facade I could conjure up around other Indians to pretend that we shared similar childhoods.

We didn’t.

As I got older, I felt the tension rise within myself about my cultural identity. Being mixed race, I felt like a lost sailor from a sunken ship, stuck on a raft in the middle of the ocean between two islands, stranded. Who will find me first? Where will I wash ashore?

Which ethnicity will identify me? I waited patiently for some magnificent event to define me. I didn’t realize that, in doing so, I was appropriating my own Indian culture.

During my freshman year, I wanted to join the clique of Indians at my university, but my attempted membership further discredited my heritage. Despite all my training to pass as seemingly Indian, I could not hide the holes in my poorly stitched cultural identity. The

students saw right through my act, and I was ostracized. I could speak with them about all the latest films and music, but my experiences felt illegitimate, like a viewer recounting a televised event. I knew my rejection wasn’t the product of collective anger or frustration.

Worse, it was because we just weren’t the same.

I was not like them. I couldn’t even speak my own language.

I broke off from the group, feeling underqualified for my membership, and I began to search for a fool-proof way to validate my ‘Indian-ness.’ This existential pursuit led me to a classroom filled with other self-doubting Indians.

I enrolled in an introductory Hindi class, an in-person course equivalent to a Language For Dummies book. The class was filled with American-Born Confused Desis, South Asians born in the United States who grow to develop a lifelong internal conflict between their American and Indian cultures. Later in life, I discovered that there are so many of us, someone felt the need to create an acronym: ABCD. Sitting in my chair and leaning on the U-shaped linoleum table, I began to feel accepted. There are others equally as lost. I am not alone. We sat and chatted about our other classes until we heard a loud echo: “Namaste class.”

We turned to the back of the class and our professor was leaning against the doorway. He was wearing a loose white button down and worn-in jeans, with a faded leather satchel wrapped around his shoulders.

He was white.

IDENTITY ON PG. 7

OPINION

The Battalion | 7.20.22

7

IDENTITY CONTINUED

Maya Pimentel is an EnMed medical student and opinion writer for The Battalion.

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and I avoided anyone wearing any “namastay in bed” merchandise like the plague.

I judged their benign racism and I acted offended by their insensitivity.

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He grinned at his new apprentices, and I felt like a dandelion losing its body to the wind. I was shocked. I never imagined a non-Indian teaching me Hindi. I thought I would be learning my native language from a native. How can he possibly teach a class of Indian Americans their own tongue? Isn’t that insensitive?

He passed around syllabi, pulled out a chair, dragged it into the center of the classroom and sat on it, dropping his bag to the floor. Then, class began and we started practicing the alphabet. He drummed his retroflex “tha’s” and aspirated his “kha” sounds like a true Indian, while I developed a temporary stutter. I struggled to pass the air through my nostrils for the nasal “na’s,” and I could barely push the air out of my mouth for any aspirated noises. I spent my entire life listening to others speak around me, and even though I never understood the alien phrases passing through my ears, I thought I could at least copy the accent.

“Repeat after me,” he said.

I couldn’t.

Then, we moved on to the script, Devanagari. He wrote the characters on the whiteboard. With each new drawing, I forgot the previous. I was lost, and I was frustrated.

However, above all else, I was humbled.

People love exploiting Indian culture. Growing up in Los Angeles, I saw many middle-aged suburban women with aum symbols tattooed on their wrists and prayer beads wrapped around their rearview mirrors of their cars. I constantly met people who, upon discovering my mom’s ethnicity, proceeded to overshare their love of butter chicken and their “life-changing” experiences visiting the Taj Mahal. I could never escape Starbucks before hearing someone order a “chai tea,”

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