thebattalion l wednesday,
february 20, 2013
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Students receive non-A&M affiliated email poll Mark Doré
The Battalion
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wo polls meant to gauge student opinion regarding renovation funds for the east side of Kyle Field reached student email accounts. An organization called “Aggie Polling” released a survey to an uncertain number of University email accounts before midnight Tuesday. This poll came prior to and separate from a University poll expected to be sent to the entire student body via email beginning at midnight.
Potentially three surveys regarding the student body’s role in funding stadium upgrades will be presented to students this week — the two aforementioned polls sent via email and a separate referendum put on by Student Government Association that will be accessible alongside student elections Thursday and Friday. Aggie Polling’s survey refers to Aggie Polling as “an independent student-run project.” The web address “Aggiepolling.com” redirects to an online publication called “Aggie Guardian.”
On its website, Texas Aggie Conservatives, TAC, lists among its officers Marc Pitts as editor-in-chief of Aggie Guardian. Pitts’ email address is affiliated with TAC. Aggie Polling and TAC also list the same P.O. box. The poll by the A&M administration was motivated by University officials’ concerns about the language of the SGA referendum. The A&M administration proposes 60 percent of the renovation to the east side of Kyle Field be funded by an increase in the University Advancement Fee while the SGA referendum proposes 40 percent come from a UAF
increase. The remaining fund source would come from an increase in sports pass prices. The poll by Aggie Polling contains more questions than either the SGA or A&M administration survey. The survey by Aggie Polling asked whether the SGA or A&M administration poll would have “binding power,” whether the A&M administration would widely or quickly publish the results of its poll, whether funds should be drawn from existing sources rather than from a fee increase and whether or not and to what extent Kyle Field should be upgraded.
SEC championships
Butterfly effect
CAMPUS
2013
ELECTIONS
Voting for student body elections will take place on Thursday and Friday at vote.tamu.edu.
inside
b!
arts | 2 Aggies got talent
The Student New Works festival is all about local Aggie talent, giving theatre students the opportunity to write, direct, and stage original works of drama.
voices | 2 Failure to lead
COURTESY
Junior education major Cammile Adams placed fifth in the 200-meter-butterfly final in the 2012 London Olympics.
Swimmer uses Olympic experience to further goals Krishnan Seshadrinathan
The Battalion t the 2012 London Olympics, competing alongside the likes of Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, junior education major Cammille Adams said she felt like a “small fish in a big pond.”
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In the 2013 SEC Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships — which began on Tuesday — the fifth-place finisher in the Olympic 200-meter-butterfly isn’t so easily overshadowed. Adams said asking questions of Phelps, Lochte and other Olympians was of benefit to her. “It was such a close team, in spite
of having a big age difference,” Adams said. “It was so good to hang out with [Phelps], [Lochte], Natalie [Coughlin], Rebecca [Soni], and Dana [Vollmer], to have people to rely on and to ask them questions.” Adams said the support given to the U.S. Olympic team doesn’t mean she doesn’t appreciate the 12th Man. “It has been fun to see so much of the 12th Man come to the meets,” Cammile said. ‘’I don’t think you get that kind of school spirit anywhere else. It speaks volumes about the University.’’ Hailing from Cypress, Texas, Adams started to swim at the age of four.
Since then, there has been only one thing on her mind. “My first swim meet was when I was five,” Adams said. “My dad was a swimmer, he was a swimmer in college and he is a coach. So he got me into it.’’ Coming to Texas A&M was an easy choice for her, and it speaks volumes about the quality of the program here. “I looked at four different schools; they are all in the SEC now,’’ Adams said. ‘’Looking back, I definitely feel like I made the best decision. I don’t See Adams on page 3
muggle life
A&M quidditch teams seek national championship John Odom
The Battalion hey may not fly through the air at break-neck speeds or fight trolls in bathrooms, but ranked No. 1 in the world, the Texas A&M quidditch team is not to be disregarded as a group of
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wand-waving fanatics. With more than 800 teams in the U.S. alone, quidditch has evolved from a group of enthusiasts’ pet project in 2005 at Middlebury College into a national sport about the spirit of competition and camaraderie.
“We don’t think we fly. We’re not role playing. We’re competing in an athletic event,” said Rebecca DuPont, president of A&M’s quidditch team and junior bioenvironmental science major. See Quidditch on page 4
Student Body President John Claybrook criticizes Student Senate for failing to provide accurate representation of its constituents.
sports | 3 Thank you, 12th Man A&M women’s basketball coach Gary Blair shows appreciation for student support during Monday’s home loss to Kentucky.
campus | 5 Curriculum revival Faced with a declining number of applicants, A&M faculty members are working to preserve and revive the Africana studies program, which offers a minor and graduate certificate.
Tanner Garza — THE BATTALION
From left: Sophomore Andrew Cantu, junior Andrew Dinwoodie and junior Bailey Murphy run down the field during Quidditch practice at Penrberthy.
The Battalion endorses SBP candidate A
FILE PHOTO
Reid Joseph
BAT_02-20-13_A1.indd 1
fter interviewing both candidates, the editorial board of The Battalion has decided to endorse Reid Joseph for student body president. Our goal was to determine which candidate we thought would most selflessly represent the student body to University administrators and local and state communities. Joseph displayed characteristics crucial to a position of public leadership. He deflected focus from himself and demonstrated the student body’s need for a selfless leader. His personable nature was exemplified in the ease with which he moved around the newsroom, shaking hands, asking questions and referring to us by name. Joseph showed sincere humility, responding with confidence to questions about campus issues such as the role of mandatory student fees, but
honestly acknowledging there are aspects to such issues to which he didn’t know the answer. Joseph recognized a need to increase communication between the student body and Student Government Association by proposing thoughtful plans to fulfill the needs of connectivity between the two entities. He presented a clear understanding of how delegation is necessary to lead an executive branch that represents a massive student body. For example, Joseph proposed implementation of a new community outreach team that would help bridge communication to the diverse student groups across the University. Joseph could have had a better understanding or plan of action to collaborate with the legislative branch of SGA, which presents student opinion before the A&M administration and Texas Leg-
islature. However, he expressed sincere desire to continue learning about student concerns to help best represent the student body. Joseph’s campus involvement and his postgraduation plans speak to his discipline and professional demeanor. The Battalion fully supports Reid Joseph for the position of the 2013-2014 student body president of Texas A&M.
EDITORIALBOARD The Battalion’s editorial opinion is determined by its editorial board, with the editor-in-chief having final responsibility.
2/20/13 1:50 AM
lifestyles
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b!
voices
GUESTCOLUMN
Failure to Lead
thebattalion 02.20.2013 page2
John Claybrook: Senate’s false representation fails to serve students
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mong the optimistic, I lead the pack. I dreamed of a productive, working relationship with Student Senate after being elected last February. I recognized the great opportunity we were given to proactively address issues that impact students every day. Surely, I thought, we could all work together as our student body’s elected representatives. I thought wrong. What I found is a systemically unrealistic, distrusting and surprisingly prideful organization of students characterized by an unwillingness to listen or effectively represent their constituencies. Of course, there are exceptions. I’ve interacted with student senators — those with whom I’ve agreed and disagreed — who defy the norm, seek student opinion, and display openness to differing perspectives. Unfortunately, these student senators are few and far between. The dominating principle guiding the decisions made by our Student Senate is an unrealistic philosophy of idealism that is often devoid of practicality. I completely agree that a hint of idealism is necessary and needed in any form of leadership. However, when Senate’s unwillingness to accurately consider current circumstances is dwarfed by an obsession with the unrealistic, effectiveness in leadership is nonexistent. Additionally, our Student Senate is marred by a recent history of distrust toward the executive branch, including the student body president and committees, as well as the A&M administration. I don’t believe these parties are flawless, and I remain a strong advocate of asking questions and seeking truth on behalf of the student body. However, a fundamental distrust of those you work with daily and rely on to enforce your policies is ineffective at best and destructive at worst. For instance, when the Texas A&M CFO, B.J. Crain, attended the Feb. 6 Senate meeting, she told senators that using existing UAF funds or reserves was not a plausible funding option for the planned Kyle Field student section renovation. The Senate let her leave before accusing her of providing incorrect or misleading information, then voted 28-2 in favor of a referendum that will mislead the student body into believing that these funds are available. That is misleading. That is poor leadership. Lastly, I believe the most harmful characteristic in our Student Senate is an inconceivable pride in believing that they were elected
because they were the most knowledgeable and capable of making decisions on behalf of students. It is an argument I’ve heard multiple times. Take the concealed carry on campus issue, for instance. Personal preference aside, two referenda from 2009 and 2011 proved that students, with a 54 and 57 percent majority, respectively, are against concealed carry on campus. This year, student senators took this issue into their own hands and passed a bill overruling student opinion by an overwhelming 38-19 majority — a 25 percent swing from a year and a half ago. Call me crazy, but voting contrary to the student body is not representing students. Constitutionally, our duty in the Student Government Association is to “serve and represent the student body.” Student Senate’s alleged service of the student body is broken at the foundation: a fundamental misunderstanding of its duty and an unwillingness to engage our student body. It’s time for a complete overhaul of our Student Senate. It’s a big deal to be elected to represent students. I wish that being elected to represent students was an aspiration of many and treated as an extreme honor to serve in that capacity. But the reputation of Student Senate has deterred many of our most outstanding students from ever setting foot in the Senate chamber. It’s time for student senators to start reaching out to the students they represent and actually take into consideration student opinion. Set office hours, correspond with college or residence constituencies, offer polls to gauge student opinion, facilitate places on campus for students to discuss issues they want changed, or speak directly with classes or student organizations. Maybe even post the names of student senators on senate. tamu.edu, let alone offer contact information. Senate can’t settle for a Facebook group and a Twitter feed and expect students to respond. Be proactive. It’s time for some serious leadership from our Student Senate, because what we’ve been getting is far from serious and far from leadership.
John Claybrook is a senior finance major and Student Body President
Tanner Garza — THE BATTALION
Senior Angelica De La Garza, sophomore Wesley White, and freshman Matt Hegarty perform a scene from the upcoming play “Henderson” by senior Emily Sturrock.
New Works Festival showcases student playwrights Elizabeth Evans
Curtains up
Special to The Battalion
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rom actors to designers, directors to playwrights, the Student New Works Festival is all about showcasing Aggie talent, and giving theatre students the chance to live out a dream. For four years running, the festival has given Texas A&M theatre majors and minors a complete hands on experience as theatre professionals. The students do it all, with the faculty just serving an advisory role. “It’s been an amazing experience, but also humbling,” said Tori Dominguez, senior theatre arts major and playwright of “The Persistence of Memory,”, one of the works being showcased in the festival. “My piece is about my own personal experience with death and grief. The script came from entries from my own journal, so it’s relieving, but also makes me feel a bit vulnerable.” Dominguez, along with five other lucky playwrights, had her work chosen out of proposals sent into the theatre program season committee. “Students submit proposals, including a design presentation and written abstract,” said Instructional Assistant Professor Amy Guerin. “The theatre program season committee, with three faculty members and one student member, review the proposals and decide which proposals to accept.” From surrealism to satire, various genres will be presented through the pieces showcased in the event. The five plays include “Henderson” by English and theatre major Emily Sturrock, “Slant” by senior wildlife and fisheries ma-
The Student New Works Festival will run Wednesday to Saturday in the Liberal Arts building. jor Citally Jimenez and senior English major Esmeralda Rodriguez, “The Persistence of Memory” by Dominguez, “What Are You Really?” by senior international studies major Justin Fullerton and “When I Grow Up” by senior agricultural communications & journalism major Josh Hardcastle. Production stage manager and senior theatre arts major Madison O’Brien said the festival is a great learning experience for students, providing them with valuable insight into the world of production. “I love the challenge that new works pose to all of the students involved in creating new art and experimenting and trying new things in an accepting environment,” O’Brien said. “This environment not only allows everyone involved to learn from one another and the art they are creating, but invites the audience into this experiment as well.” Dominguez said the festival allows people to experiment with their creativity, no matter their professional level or prior experience to play production. “It shows that it doesn’t matter who you are, whether you’re a professional actor, writer or director, you can be creative too,” Dominguez said. “I hope students that come to the festival see that they can be creative as well.”
Senior English major Trevor Stevens, editor-in-chief Senior agricultural journalism major Jake Walker, managing editor Junior agribusiness major Camryn Ford, city editor Senior university studies major Julie Blanco, city desk assistant Senior French major Jennifer Keith, city desk assistant Sophomore English major Elise Brunsvold, lifestyles editor
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Sophomore anthropology major Tanner Garza, photo chief
The Battalion staff represents every college on the campus, including undergraduates and graduate students. The leadership of The Battalion welcomes students to participate in the First Amendment in action as you utilize your student newspaper. We are students.
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News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; email: 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.
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Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1. Call 979-845-2696 for mail subscriptions.
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2/20/13 1:25 AM
sports thebattalion
‘
Letter to the 12th Man:
s e ic o v Adams Continued from page 1
From Gary Blair, A&M women’s basketball head coach
page 3 wednesday 2.20.2013 I would like to thank you for making a difference in the A&M vs. Kentucky women’s basketball game on Monday night. Kentucky may have won the battle, but last night was also a tribute to things that we do right at Texas A&M — the Corps, the students, the Yell Leaders and the breast cancer survivors who were all there not only to support the cause, but also to remember and honor the firemen lost last weekend. Texas A&M is so much more than
think I would have been near this happy and swell anywhere else.’’ Twelve Aggie Olympians competed in the 2012 Olympics, evidence of the niche the program has created. “Coming to A&M and having 35 to 40 girls to train with has been such a blessing,’’ Adams said. “It has been so much fun just having someone that will always push you and race you in practice.” Her performances this season have led to some giving her the title of ‘’Miss Butterfly,” but her performances see what I am going to do at “I believe she can accomhave come as no surprise to that point. For me, now, the plish great things, maybe her coaches. goal is to get a medal.’’ greater than she may think “[Adams] loves to learn A&M head women’s is possible,” Jamison said. about the sport and is willswimming coach Steve Bult- “If she continues to progress ing to try new things to help man said he is excited for like she has over the past few her get the edge over her Adams’ progress and for what years, it’s scary to think what competitors,” said Tanica she can achieve in the future. she could become.” Jamison, A&M assistant “I think she will continue Adams leads the No. 9 women’s swimming coach. A&M women into the “[Adams] finds a way SEC Championships to give her best despite SEC Championships against such schools as how she may feel on any Events run until Sat. Feb. 23. No. 3 Auburn and No. 4 given day.” SECdigitalnetwork.com Tennessee, running from Adams’ fifth place Live results 12thMan.TV Tuesday to Saturday in finish in the 200-meter- Free video College Station at the butterfly event in Lon- Live stream ESPN3 on Fri. and Sat. Student Recreation Cendon didn’t mark the end ter Natatorium. The No. of her Olympic aspirations. to improve and get better,” 18 A&M men will face five She looks to compete in the Bultman said. “She has be- teams ranked in the Top 20. next Olympics in Rio de Jacome a force to be reckoned After Tuesday’s six events, neiro in 2016. with on the national scene both A&M men and women “I’ll definitely swim for and is just starting to realize sit in sixth place. Tennessee more years,’’ Adams said. how good she could be in- leads the women’s standings “I have two more years of ternationally.” while Auburn tops the men’s school left. After Rio, I’ll asJamison said the “sky is the teams. sess whether I have to keep limit” for Adams. swimming or what to do and
BAT_02-20-13_A3.indd 1
winning or losing an athletic event. It is made up of champions in the classroom, professors who teach us, teammates who push us, and friendships made at A&M that will last a lifetime. Thank you for coming out and creating the electric atmosphere that you did last night — you gave our team hope, and you gave our grey-hairs, no-hairs, and blue-hairs a chance to stand with you and be a part of something special. Please bring a friend who has never seen women’s
Junior education major Cammile Adams — after a showing in the London Olympics — aims for Rio in 2016.
Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION
Baseball tops SFA, 9-2
COURTESY
No. 24 A&M overcame a sluggish start on Tuesday to put away SFA behind four hits from Mikey Reynolds. A four run 6th inning broke open a third straight win.
basketball to one of the remaining games. I hope they’ll enjoy the excitement of being a part of something special and making a difference like you did last night. We still have Mississippi and LSU at home, we still have the NCAA tournament at our place and we still have a chance to go deep in the playoffs. Again, I thank you 12th Man for being there when we needed you.
Swope
Swope makes final four of NCAA Cover Vote The third round votes are in: Ryan Swope and Texas A&M have advanced to the semifinals of the EA SPORTS NCAA Football Cover Vote. Swope joins Eddie Lacy of Alabama, Denard Robinson of Michigan and Kenjon Barner of Oregon in the semifinals of the vote for the cover of this year’s video game. The tallies have reset and voting for the semifinal round has begun and will continue through Feb. 24. Votes can be cast through two avenues: by “liking” the photos specific to each university on the official EA SPORTS NCAA Football Facebook page or by voting in the university-specific polls. The two players and universities with the most votes will advance to a final round. Lacy and Alabama won their third straight round, with vote totals starting fresh with each round. Staff report
2/19/13 11:48 PM
news
page 4 wednesday 2.20.2013
Quidditch Continued from page 1
Performance Studies professor Amy Guerin is one of the team’s faculty sponsors, and has a great deal of respect for the team. “Their commitment to pursuing this sport is admirable because they are not cavalier about it,” Guerin said. “They treat it very respectfully. They have figured out a way to really raise the level of the game and raise themselves to more than just an intramural level of playing, but like a real competitive sport.”
Harry Potter vs. A&M
Senior mechanical engineering major and head intercollegiate coach Drew Wasikowski believes the manifestation of a game once only seen in movies into a legitimate sport can be attributed to warring ideas on how the game should be enjoyed. In the beginning, people were playing for the “whimsical” aspect of the game and then more people became involved for its competitive side. Wasikowski acknowledged the “Harry Potter” movies’ role in first sparking his interest in quidditch.
thebattalion
“I, of course, loved Harry Potter,” Wasikowski said. “I like it being more competitive, because it treats us more like actual athletes.” Wasikowski admitted that it is easy for people to be skeptical about the sport’s legitimacy because the idea of people riding on brooms can seem silly. According to DuPont, brooms are not always required for low-level competition. All that is required is an object of a certain length that won’t injure someone. Rosemary Ross, sophomore psychology major, explained that certain players on the team bring uniqueness to the idea of riding a broom, which helps to lighten the absurdity. “People who just want to tryout and play can bring whatever; if you can ride it like a broom, that’s fine,” Ross said. “Some of our players have signature things like a plastic baseball bat and a foam sword.”
Club Sport Status
Despite being ranked No. 1 in the world, the Texas A&M quidditch team has not yet been granted “club sport status,” which would allow them to reserve intramural fields for practice time and
receive funding for the more costly aspects of the game, such as equipment. A&M quidditch team members depend on fundraisers, profit shares and membership dues to provide funding for travel and equipment, but most of the expense is paid for out of pocket. Even occasional medical expenses resulting from sport—related injuries must come from each player. “I spend a lot of money on quidditch every year,” DuPont said. “I buy receiver gloves, cleats – I had to buy an ankle brace earlier this year because I sprained my ankle. I chipped my tooth this summer and I paid for Tanner Garza — THE BATTALION fixing my tooth, so it gets pretty expensive.” Sophomore Andrew Cantu puts up some points at a late night quidditch match at Backgrounds and Prac- Penberthy Field.
tice
DuPont explained that because the sport incorporates many players from non-athletic backgrounds, people have to prepare for playing this contact sport very differently. “I was a band nerd in high school, so my background is a lot different from the guys who played football in high school,” DuPont said. Although the sport is coed, tackling is still a very impor-
tant part of the game. Players can tackle one-handed as hard as they want as long as they do not tackle from behind. “Guys will not show me any mercy; they’ll tackle me,” DuPont said. “I feel like a lot of our girls are pretty unique in that our girls won’t shy away from contact.” To deal with the need to specialize training for its niche population, the team has con-
scientiously tailored its practices for maximum benefit by breaking them up into three segments: conditioning, drills and scrimmaging. The first segment of practice is led by conditioning coach and senior chemical engineering major, Dominique Gauchei. In order to enhance the team’s performance, Gauchei utilizes his former soccer
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experience by incorporating mundane exercises into every practice, such as running laps and doing sprints and pushups. During the drill segment, the team splits up by position and works on specialty skills such as passing, shooting, blocking shots, tackling and even more conditioning. The scrimmage portion of practice serves a very important purpose. In addition to adding extra conditioning and practice for essential skills in game situations, the players learn to mesh with each other’s strengths and weaknesses and work on the moderation of playing intensity. “We try to find the right balance of getting enough practice in while not injuring each other,” Wasikowski said.
Competition
Guerin said they meet whatever goals they set for themselves as a student organization – to put together multiple teams within the organization, to travel, to host tournaments, to rise in the rankings. One goal the quidditch team hopes to achieve is more support from the A&M family. It seeks to make headway with this goal at the Southwest Regional tournament. A&M will host the Southwest Regional tournament at the Penberthy Intramural turf fields Saturday and Sunday. About 15 teams are expected to compete in the tournament, including University of Texas, Baylor, University of North Texas, Sam Houston State, as well as teams from Los Angeles, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Teams that place in the Top 10 at this tournament will secure a position to compete in the International Quidditch Association’s 6th annual Quidditch World Cup in Orlando, FL. According to DuPont, this is the first year that teams have to qualify for World Cup. Formerly, most teams had to pay out of pocket if they wanted to attend. “In previous years, it was more like a first come, first serve, if-you-can-afford-togo kind of thing,” DuPont said. “This year you have to be able to afford and you have to actually qualify.” Ross said they have two teams paying to go to the World Cup. One team, the Silver Phoenixes, is one of the sport’s first ever “secondary” teams. The Silver Phoenixes were originally the non-competitive component of the team, but this year will compete at the intercollegiate level in the tournament. The A&M quidditch team could potentially face off against the Silver Phoenixes in the tournament. Players on the teams have formed deep bonds through this sport, providing them with what they are sure is the niche they fall into on campus. “When I first got to A&M, I didn’t know where I was going to go,” DuPont said. “This is my place at A&M. I joined quidditch and instantly I was like, ‘This where I want to be.’”
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2/20/13 12:33 AM
news
page 5 wednesday 2.20.2013
thebattalion
Director of Africana studies works to revive program Special to the Battalion
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aced with a declining number of applicants, Texas A&M faculty members are working to preserve and fortify the Africana studies program in the College of Liberal Arts. Violet Johnson, director of Africana studies and history professor, said the number of students in the program has been healthy, but has decreased in the past two years. Johnson said she wants to bring new life to the program. “I’m really anxious to have students, faculty and the larger community know about the things we have been doing,” Johnson said. “Call me overly optimistic, but I think that if people knew as much about what we are doing, there would be more interest, there would be more involvement and more engagement, so I want it out there.” Africana studies is an interdisciplinary program that offers a minor and a graduate certificate program, and
Place
an ad Phone 845-0569 Suite L400, Memorial Student Center Texas A&M University
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focuses on the cultures, politics and histories of people of African descent. “It seems that interest for the minor has dwindled, which is one of my challenges,” Johnson said. “I want to not only be able to restart the interest in the minor, but actually to grow that interest and have students more involved and desirous of taking courses in Africana studies.” Johnson said she wants to eventually offer a major, but ultimately depends on student interest to make that happen. “The minor is one of the most solid minors I’ve seen in Africana studies,” Johnson said. “The curriculum is really deep. That is why I think it is ready to move on to introducing a major.” In response to the interest deficit, Johnson has embarked on various initiatives designed to elevate interest levels. These initiatives include personally attending classes related to Africana studies to talk to students about the opportunities Africana studies offers to complement their major. Illustrating the interdisci-
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— Violet Johnson, director of Africana studies
appointed faculty member teaches courses in both of their departments. “We all have classes related to Africana studies,” Salter said. “As a jointly appointed person, I owe classes to both
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munication, Psychology and History. To further her efforts of developing the program, Johnson encourages student involvement and thrives on feedback, particularly
through the evaluations that are given after open houses, in-house residencies by performing artists, panels featuring directors of documentaries and various seminars. “The evaluation tells us how this went and how to proceed in the future,” Johnson said. “Data will detail how to improve and how to move forward based on the feedback.” Among the students who support Johnson’s efforts is senior international studies major, Diamilatou Sow. Sow minors in both French and Africana studies. “If everything goes as [Johnson] says it will go, it will be a great department because she has great ideas and she’s willing to work at it,” Sow said. “I’m look-
ing forward to working with Dr. Johnson on some of the things she is coming up this semester.” Salter believes that what holds many students back from getting involved in Africana studies is not knowing how it could be beneficial to them in the future. “We are living in an increasingly diverse place and in order to function in society, you are going to have to know how to navigate interacting with different people,” Salter said. “In the job market, as there is more competition for fewer jobs, you also need to credential yourself. If you know how to be a culturally competent person, I think it’s important in that it makes the world a better place.”
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the psychology department and to Africana studies.” Johnson said there are joint appointments in the Departments of Anthropology, English, Performance Studies, Hispanic Studies, Com-
“Call me overly optimistic, but I think that if people knew as much about what we are doing, there would be more interest, there would be more involvement and more engagement, so I want it out there.”
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plinary nature of the field, the core staff of Africana studies is composed entirely of jointappointed faculty. Phia Salter, professor of psychology and Africana studies, said each joint-
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read the fine print.
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The 12th Man® deserves the very best. Larger entrances and concourses. New restrooms. Enhanced concessions. A stunning exterior. And prime seating, just as you have today. Join previous generations of Aggie students and help us renovate and expand Kyle Field.
VOTE “YES” FOR THE KYLE FIELD RENOVATION! Check your NEO email soon for details on the student vote.
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