MSC Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) will host the third and final session of TEDxTAMUSalons for this semester on Nov. 19 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. in Rudder Forum. TEDxTAMU is an independently-run TED conference held on campus. In the vision of TED, the conference is devoted to bringing renowned speakers to share their ideas through speeches. MSC ALOT hosts a TEDxTAMU conference every spring semester, but this is the first year they have held smaller TEDxTAMUSalon events. TEDxTAMU executive director and chemical engineering sophomore Kayla Lotz said the talks this fall have been organized in a salon style, having full-length TED talks, each followed by a round of questions and answers. “We organized three sessions for this fall with transparency, engagement and experience, and breaking barriers as their respective themes,” Lotz said. “We as a group believe in positive communication on campus, and we see TEDx as an amazing way to bring in diversity of speakers from currently different backgrounds to speak on the same topic and, in turn, allow students to sit and experience a diverse perspective and be able to discuss that afterwards.” The process of nominating a speaker is divided into three rounds, according to TEDxTAMU Director of Speaker Relations and biomedical engineering sophomore Caleb Kwan. “People nominate a speaker on the organization’s website, and once the window for the same closes, emails are sent to the people who have been nominated who are in turn supposed to send an audition video along with their planned proposed talk,” Kwan said. “That’s when we select the people, and the last round involves training those selected nominees so that they’re completely ready for the event.” The process not just included nominating speakers for the talk, but also included other basic tasks without which organizing this event would not have been possible. “We started planning this in the beginning of the semester and went through various other processes like asking for the license from TED and taking approvals from the MSC,” Kwan said. The organization is divided into subcommittees that are responsible for handling specific tasks. The main purpose of the organization is to build freshmen leadership. Andrew McGlothlin, engineering freshman and operations team member, said the salons spread information and helps people experience different points of views. “We have a mission statement, ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’ and we try to keep up to it,” McGlothin said. “It helps us spread information and helps people experience different points of views.” The freshmen said it was their responsibility for the event to run smoothly. “At the beginning, we were in charge of making themes for the talks after which we helped other subcommittees achieve their specified goals,” biomedical sciences freshman and sponsorship team member Carolina Govea said. Operations subcommittee member and engineering freshman Mark Matis said unlike the conferences held in the spring, the talks will not be concluded by performances. The event is featuring 5 speakers: Michael Green, Lyndsey Hogue, Ray Person, Timothy Davis and Suzan Nguyening. All members of the organization are enthusiastic and confident about the success of this event because they’ve organized such events before as well. “Unique is a broad word,” Kwan said. “Everyone has a unique story which makes the entire event a unique and a beautiful experience for everyone.” Tickets can be purchased for $13 through the MSC Box Office. The limit is 100 seats in order to keep the event intimate.

With stories of love and loss told through the medium of movement,the theme of “Rise,” the Texas A&M Dance Arts Society (DAS) took to the Rudder Auditorium stage Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. to perform their student-choreographed fall show. The two-hour-long “Rise” showcase consisted of 15 dance routines performed by a total of 108 dancers, and special guest performances by the Aggie Wranglers and the A&M Femmatas. Kinesiology senior and DAS vice president Meghan Gray has been a member for seven semesters and said she is passionate about how this organization has allowed members to continue following their love of dance. “Our mission is to continue to give our members the ability to keep dancing throughout college and allow a place for artistic expression,” Gray said. “Dancing is something everyone does whether it's a couple's first dance at their wedding or a grand performance on stage. Dancing brings so much joy to the world and it's amazing to see each artistic vision come to life.” Each dance was choreographed by a student, who held auditions during the first week of September to pick the best dancers to perform the piece. Many of the routines have stories behind them, such as “Someone You Loved,” a song choreographed by interdisciplinary studies senior and DAS Secretary Mackenzie Clowe, in honor of her grandmother and biggest fan who passed away during her freshman year. “Creating this piece was challenging at times because my emotions ran high; but each week I came to rehearsal and threw difficult choreography at my dancers, yet they shone like the stars they are each time,” Clowe said. “In this piece we tell the story of losing a loved one, and through our movements we show the love and anger that come with letting go. I wish that my Gigi could be here to see us perform this dance, but I can feel her presence every single time we perform this piece.” Over the past semester, the dancers have practiced for over 250 hours to perfect the routines they created for the show. Two weeks ago, the officers held final auditions to determine which dances would best represent the organization onstage based off the cleanliness, energy, technique and showmanship of the piece. “When you are working alongside a group of ladies such as this one, it does not seem like we are even working,” Clowe said. “I look forward to the days that I get to spend hours working, creating, and moving alongside this group of ladies, and I would not trade these hours for the world.” Dance is an art form that affects everyone differently, computer science senior and DAS president Emmie Davis said, and it can uniquely connect people to music, teaching them to discover more about themselves. “Our finale song is about learning and growing from things that may bring you down,” Davis said. “Like Diamonds, we will rise out of the dust better than we were before. I think the message of growing and evolving from your past is really important, and is definitely something that I hope the members of Dance Arts Society remember forever.”

In an effort to raise on-campus awareness of modern day slavery, The International Justice Mission hosted “A Pop-Up Shop to End Slavery” on Nov. 14 and 15 from 1 to 4 p.m. The pop-up shop was held in Rudder Plaza, where the organization sold used clothing, with all proceeds directly funding a rescue mission for those trapped in slavery rings. Previously, IJM has hosted a variety of awareness events, like fasting for 24 hours and purchasing meals based only on the amount of donations they earned in a given day. Chapter president and psychology senior Kathryn Seela said the organization is always looking for new students who want to get involved. Given the commonality of child trafficking in the clothing industry, Seela said IJM wants to inform students to look past the brand label and look at the integrity and morality of the company. This includes shopping at thrift stores, as the funds do not go directly to unethical brands. “We’re helping to raise awareness through this event as a reminder that we need to shop ethically,” Seela said. “That also includes shopping at confinement stores and thrift shops, just so that we don’t have to keep buying those brands that are using abusive measures.” The funds raised from this week’s event will move IJM one step closer to funding a rescue mission for individuals caught in sex and labor trafficking. Seela said the cost of one mission can be as high as $6,300, but the money earned can save as many as 52 people. All proceeds earned from the pop-up shop will also provide for the protection and care of rescuees after they have been freed. The members of IJM promoted the pop-up shop through social media campaigns and spread the word amongst friends and family. Seela said IJM members went through all of the donated clothes to make sure they were lightly used. “Clothes not used will be given to different confinement shops around the College Station-Bryan area,” said Seela. IJM vice president and international studies senior Jacob Williams said officers talked to A&M students about human trafficking and the importance of being aware of the topic at the event. This shop will not only inform students on the issue of trafficking, Williams said, but it will also shed light on the work being done to fight it, so they themselves can get involved in the war on human trafficking. “Every person that purchases an item will be able to take home a tag that will have a story of a survivor that IJM has worked with in the past,” Williams said. The majority of A&M students do not understand how widespread slavery is, Williams said, and IJM plans to change that by raising awareness at the pop-up shop. “A lot of times students just think that we can’t make a really big impact in the world, but when we partner with people like this our voices and even our finances can go a very long way to make a big difference in the world,” Williams said. “We’re the next leaders and I believe that this is something all of us at A&M could learn from.”

Across the MSC Bethancourt Ballroom, a group of students clothed in bright orange and blue áo dàis pose for a picture, and as the throng of people continues to mill about, the first trills of a mariachi band fill the room with rich, vibrant sound. In an effort to shed light on the cultures that comprise the A&M student body, the Department of Multicultural Services partnered with the Asian Presidents Council, the Black Students Alliance Council and the Hispanic Presidents Council to host the 13th Annual Fusion Fiesta on Thursday, Nov. 14. The event’s “Pass the Plate: We’re Better Together” theme intended to expose students to diverse traditions, customs and art forms that work together to make the campus unique. Many different groups were represented at the Fiesta, such as the International Student Association, the Study Abroad Office, the Brazilian Student Organization and the Aggie Black Male Connection. ABMC chief administrative officer and engineering sophomore Devon Ramlal said he and his fellow officers used this Fiesta to spread awareness about the Black organizations and resources on campus. “It’s kind of a safe space for African American males to get together and talk about either social issues, or just their feelings about being in a PWI (Predominantly White Institution),” Ramlal said. “There are African-Americans that don't even know about the different multicultural things that are there to help them, and so if they can get plugged into at least one of those facets, then they’ll see it as more like home and they’ll have people they can relate to and talk to about things that they might not feel comfortable talking to other people about.” Several groups took a culturally educational approach, creating tri-fold boards and tangible displays with information about certain countries, aspects of cultures or comparisons between different nations. Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers Committee member and engineering freshman Nathan Purwosumarto showed visitors a scale model of Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, to introduce students to some interesting facts about Cambodia. “It’s important to recognize that learning about other countries contribute to the diversity here on campus,” Purwosumarto said. “Why we chose to do Cambodia was that because we’re the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, we wanted to include all Asian cultures, not just the ones that people really know about, like China or Japan.” Students who attended the Fiesta played games at different stations, collected stamps for free cultural foods, like won-tons and Mexican Conchas, and participated in Minute-to-Win-It games for a chance to win prizes. Ballet Folklorico Celestial President and senior industrial distribution major Oscar Dominguez offered visitors a chance to learn traditional Mexican dance steps at his booth. “I joined after I saw the booth at open house, and I was really interested in really reconnecting with my culture, being that I was pretty far away from home and I’ve loved it ever since,” Domiguez said. “We do love these events because we get to meet a lot of different people from a lot of different places, and we get to share what our heritage is, that cheerfulness, that Mexican party feeling and we’re just so happy to do that around here.” Different cultural groups performed throughout the night, with acts ranging from music by the Aggieland Mariachi to the colorful dance of Vietnamese Student Association, to even a few a capella songs. “I think it’s super important to get that exposure, to put ourselves out there for students to see that there is this little part of traditional culture here on campus that you can engage with,” Dominguez said. “That way you can connect a little bit more with your own heritage, or even experience a different culture if you’re not strictly Latin or Mexican.”

Student Health Services employees are celebrating A.P. Beutel’s life, as well as the Texas A&M health center’s history and future, in preparation of the namesake’s 127th birthday. Albert Phillip Beutel was born on Nov. 13, 1892, and was a chemist who came to Texas in 1940 to build a Dow Chemical plant in Freeport, establishing the chemical industry’s presence on the Gulf Coast. He later constructed plants in North Carolina, California and overseas. Beutel also was the vice president of Dow Chemical Company and was appointed to the Texas A&M Board of Directors — now known as the Board of Regents — in 1963. The university’s fourth health center opened in 1973 as a hospital and was dedicated to Beutel after his death on Nov. 27, 1972. According to official Texas A&M University Board of Director meeting minutes, Beutel was “joyously philosophic,” “believed that qualities for good abided in all people and that truth could be best known through a personal engagement with the realities of life.” Dr. Martha Dannenbaum, Director of SHS and Class of 1983, said although the history of the physical building was well-known, the history behind its namesake was not. “We knew we named the building after him, but we didn’t know much about the story behind who he was,” Dannaenbaum said. Dannenbaum said she also discovered that Beutel’s name is actually pronounced as “Boy-tel” instead of “Bue-tel.” Dr. Garry Gore, Medical Director for Texas A&M Emergency Medical Services and Class of 1984, introduced the idea of recognizing Beutel’s birthday and learning more about him. Gore said they have been looking for months for information on Beutel and didn’t find any until he contacted the Board of Regents. “We wanted to know more about him, his hobbies, his interests, but we could never get a lede on anybody,” Gore said. “He came from Ohio, so his family may be mostly in the Ohio area.” The Beutel Health Center has undergone many changes since it first opened in 1973, including a 16,000-square-foot addition in 1986 with an x-ray unit, a lab waiting room and an emergency squad room. Renovations in 2012 and 2016 created a combined eighteen exam rooms and shared office space for 10 health care providers. A pharmacy that sells over-the-counter medications was renovated in 2017. The building also has a twin – the Owens-Franklin Health Center at Prairie View A&M University. Dannenbaum said they stopped serving overnight patients in the 90s and turned the overnight rooms into the women’s clinic and other patient care areas. “Most of the expansion has been related to increasing the ability to provide direct care to students, so adding exam rooms and adding space for clinicians,” Dannenbaum said. According to Student Health Services’ 2018-2019 Impact Statement, the clinic had 82,907 total visits and 24,928 unique patients from September 2018 to September 2019. According to Dannenbaum, the health center was initially built to serve 22,000 students, and after the 1986 renovation, a student population of 33,000. Dannenbaum said she would like SHS to provide full dental and optometry services, but the health center is limited by space and funding. “The building is to the point where we can’t expand our service offerings,” Dannenbaum said. “We’ve looked at building up, and the architects have told us, ‘No, you can’t, there’s not enough support to be able to do that.’” Gore said the Beutel Health Center is not included in the university’s future master plan and will eventually be replaced by another building. However, even with the center’s limitations, A&M is still considered a leader in college health. “We were at a conference, and some folks I met from North Carolina were telling me A&M is considered a leader in college health because we’re so big,” Gore said. “Apparently, we do things pretty well here compared to other schools because of our size. He said, ‘When A&M talks, other people listen.’”

The classic circus routine will be reimagined with a modern twist, as Cirque Mechanics takes over Rudder Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Tuesday to perform 42ft - A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels. Adapting the well-loved circus tradition for the modern age, Cirque Mechanics founder and creative director Chris Lashua said he decided to create a new show narrating the story of a man who ran away to join the circus, featuring famous circus acts like jugglers, clowns, acrobats and the strongman. “There is nothing like live entertainment and theatre, and nothing better evokes the spirit of adventure and better demonstrates what amazing things we are all capable of than the circus,” Lashua said. “Circus blends acrobatics and dance with storytelling, narrative, and in our case, we add a mechanical component that makes this all even more unique.” Of the moving elements in the performance, Lashua included a dynamic metal circus ring and rigging and an intricate mechanical horse named “Rosebud,” built out of the frame of an industrial tricycle in the style of a ‘kinetic sculpture’. “We begin with a few ideas for the mechanized circus acts or devices that support circus acts,” Lashua said. “The artists are the stars, but the machinery and contraptions support the artists and allow them to execute their acts in new ways. As we believe in displaying the relationship between the artists and the machines, we honor both, and there are times when the device or the contraption takes focus for a moment, but the magic happens when there is synergy between both.” After the performance Tuesday night, MSC OPAS Education Outreach Coordinator Shanna Wright is inviting College Station ISD and Bryan ISD 5th grade students to see a midday performance of the show on Wednesday. “For many of these students, this is the first time they have had the opportunity to attend a live performance,” Wright said. “From coming on to the campus of a world class university to learning etiquette expectations when watching something live as opposed to on a screen, to taking note of appropriate attire for this kind of event, the kids walk away with much more than having ‘just’ seen a show.” Director of Education Outreach and communication junior Emma Wimberly works with OPAS to host other similar events, like bringing professional storytellers or theater groups to the local elementary and middle schools, giving students a chance to see and hear things that they may not get a chance to otherwise. “I think our Education Outreach efforts exemplify our mission to enlighten, entertain and inspire,” Wimberly said. “Getting the opportunity to present performances that impact educators, students and community members is one of the many reasons I’m proud to be a member of MSC OPAS.” According to Lashua, the cast and crew of Cirque Mechanics is excited to be a part of OPAS’ Education Outreach program, bringing the circus to a new generation. “Many young people may have never been to a real circus,” Lashua said. “So for those audience members, we are introducing them to a centuries-old artform that mixes more aspects of the performing arts than almost any other live performance.” Tickets to Cirque Mechanics are free for Texas A&M students with a student ID. General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for local K-12 students.

At 98 years old, William “Bill” Jones, Class of 1942, still reflects on his time at Texas A&M in the Corps of Cadets and the role he possessed while serving in three wars after graduation. As an Army pilot, Jones served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. While overseas, he was a member of a program formerly known as Army Aviation. Jones recalls spending only $25 a semester to attend A&M while pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with a focus in zoology. After receiving his diploma, Jones awaited the call to serve and taught zoology at Baylor University for three years. “When I graduated, that was the height of the depression,” Jones said. “All you could do in science was teach, so I decided to teach at the college level at Baylor.” Jones was drafted into active duty with the 95th division in San Antonio, and from there was stationed as a pilot in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea during WWII. “When the war ended, I was in the Philippines,” Jones said. “Thank Heavens it ended because I was scheduled to make landings on the coast of Japan, and that would have been a brutal thing. I don’t think a lot of us would have survived that.” Following his time in the service, Jones made a return to campus and said he hardly recognized the place that helped prepare him for his time in the Army. “After serving for four years overseas, I hadn’t gotten the chance to head back to campus,” Jones said. “But when I did, it was hard to find any building that I recognized. When I was there, there were only 8,000 students, 2,100 of which were in my class. Only 800 of us actually graduated back then.” Although the Memorial Student Center was constructed after his last visit to Aggieland, Jones said he appreciates the intentions and values that the building upholds. “The MSC was a happy thing,” Jones said. “It sure was well needed. I’m sure it serves a wonderful purpose.” As he nears his 99th birthday, Jones said he has not kept up with A&M in recent years; however, he said he still remembers participating in age old Aggie traditions like Midnight Yell at the YMCA building, Bonfire and Elephant Walk. Jones’ friend and neighbor, Gary Southerland, Class of 1983, has listened to the veteran’s stories for over 15 years. Southerland said Jones’ experiences before, during and after the war always keep him coming back for more. “He continues to tell me stories, and I just really admire this guy,” Southerland said. “He’s just an amazing man.”

More than 8,000 people are expected to walk throughout the cultural displays at this year’s Brazos Valley Worldfest on Saturday. This community-wide international festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Brazos County Expo Complex and will include family-friendly activities, such as dances and storytelling from around the world. Organized and run by Texas A&M, the festival’s mission is to promote and celebrate the international diversity and heritage within the Brazos Valley, said Manager of Community Programs Kim Fox. “Brazos Valley Worldfest was created to promote culture and heritage awareness with the goal of creating a more welcoming environment for the international visitors in our community,” Fox said. The festival began as a simple one-day event 13 years ago and has since grown to include awareness programs throughout the year, such as their International Film Series and Culture Club dinners. “We strive every year to ensure that our visitors learn something new about a culture they did not already know,” Fox said. “Brazos Valley Worldfest has been an event that has become a community staple for all ages. That is our goal, knowing that once that seed is planted it will grow into so much more.” At this year’s Brazos Valley Worldfest, there will be more than 45 cultural displays, including performances on two separate stages and international cuisines from six regions of the world. “We strive to include representation from around the world, and this year we have displays from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Native America and the Middle East,” Fox said. Fox said she encourages students to get involved with the festival, as they are already looking ahead to next year’s Worldfest. “We are always looking for motivated individuals to volunteer and serve as committee co-chairs for the festival,” Fox said. “This is the perfect event to get involved with.” Cultural Display Committee Chair Steven White said while the university and community are becoming more diverse, the Brazos Valley Worldfest has taken on the task of bringing everyone together in a positive way. “The festival has helped to promote and educate many people about the cultures represented in Brazos Valley and at A&M,” White said. “Others in the community can learn a little more about each other, experience the diversity, and even enjoy and celebrate that.” Mahjabin Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Student Organization and curriculum and instruction Ph.D. student, said she is looking forward to showcasing her country’s culture to the Brazos Valley community. “We will be having our stall display Bangladeshi crafts, artifacts, souvenirs, showpieces, photos and henna art as part of our exhibition,” Chowdhury said. “We plan to bring our traditional foods and culture into the heart of the Brazos County.” With so many people expected to attend Brazos Valley Worldfest, White said he is excited to see the divergence of different cultures in one space. “The festival has led to an attitude of openness and even embracing people, cultures and practices that are different than ours,” White said. “The main goal of Brazos Valley Worldfest is to celebrate the cultural diversity among Aggieland and the community.”

Along the walls hang everyday clothes, including T-shirts, jeans, shorts, and even a child’s dress, its flowery pattern standing out against the white interior of the gallery. While the articles of clothing look innocent, there is a painful story behind each outfit: the story of someone who was sexually assaulted. The MSC Visual Arts Committee (VAC) hosted an opening reception on Thursday in the Reynolds Gallery for their latest exhibit “What Were You Wearing.” The exhibit’s goal is to raise awareness of sexual assault and reduce the stigma that what people wear changes their likelihood of being assaulted. Students who visit the gallery, like animal science sophomore Edgar Montoya who attended the reception, can see examples of clothing that students wore when they were sexually assaulted, ranging from work uniforms, to sweatpants and sweatshirts, to a prom dress and a sari. “Honestly, it hit hard because I’d never actually thought about it until I saw the outfits,” Montoya said. “I think the topic of sexual assault is getting better because people are seeing it as more of an issue. Exhibits like this bring more of a visual aspect to the issue because you can walk through yourself and see what’s actually happening instead of having people tell you and base your own ideas off of that.” MSC VAC Chair Mckinsey Meeker helped write the proposal and worked behind the scenes to bring the exhibit to the Reynolds Gallery because sexual assault is a prevalent issue in society today, especially on college campuses. “As a committee, we believe that one of art’s many purposes is to create awareness,” Meeker said. “I would like students and members of the Bryan-College Station community to leave the exhibit with increased awareness, being more aware of not only sexual assault, but also the fact that it can happen to anyone, wearing anything.” VAC Adviser Mary Compton said the idea for this kind of exhibit started at Kansas University. Since first showcasing the exhibit, the university now assists other schools and programs like VAC to put on displays by providing a toolkit and database of survivors’ stories. “Going through the submission process and hearing the stories was incredibly moving, and they continue to weigh heavily on me,” Meeker said. “But we want to use this exhibit to increase awareness of sexual assault and show our support for those survivors.” Compton said she helped team members get materials and facilitated them as they decided upon which stories to display. In preparation for the display, VAC partnered with Texas A&M Health Promotions to train committee members on how to prepare and present the sensitive topic. “We did do some discussion to prepare them for what they were going to read,” Compton said. “They knew this was going to be a difficult subject. We talked about how we were going to present that in the exhibit, but then actually reading the stories it was pretty challenging. But because we had done all that preparation, we knew what we were getting into.” The exhibit presents a wide variety of stories, depicting how people of all genders, sizes and sexuality are affected by this issue. Case manager Ryan Jackson works with sexual assault victims through the Department of Civil Rights and Equity Investigations, getting survivors the resources they need and walking them through the reporting process. “The unfortunate reality is that sexual assault impacts people of all genders, races, socio-economic statuses, sexual orientations, religions, lifestyles,” Jackson said. “When a sexual assault occurs it is not because of any decision the survivor made, it is because of a choice to harm someone made by the attacker. Awareness events like this are important because it is a reminder to all that this is an important issue for members of our community.” While the exhibit is on display, VAC hopes that students will educate themselves on the topic and learn about advocacy groups such as Step In, Stand Up and the Green Dot, that support and provide resources for survivors. “I believe the exhibit speaks for itself,” Meeker said. “It does not matter what someone was wearing or what situation that person was in. It is never the victims’ fault.”

In order to bring healthcare services to third-world countries and communities in need, the student organization BUILD has worked for the past eight weeks to turn metal shipping containers into mobile medical clinics. Until Nov. 22, groups of student volunteers will work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every weekday to create this year’s five clinics that will be sent to Romania, Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi and the border town of Presidio, Texas. Volunteers team leader and supply chain management junior Abby Launikitis helps organize the fundraising efforts for $125,000 in supplies needed to create the clinics. She also collaborates with the leaders of different organizations to bring students out to lay flooring, install cabinets, paint murals and all of the other aspects of construction. “We set up a shift sign-up on our website so volunteer groups can go pick whatever time works best for them,” Launikitis said. “When I was a freshman, I saw BUILD at the MSC Open House, and I was like, ‘I can actually make mobile medical clinics as an A&M student?’ I fell in love with it because this is such a unique opportunity for students to have a worldwide impact that a lot of universities don’t offer.” Since the organization’s creation by a group of Corps of Cadets members after the 1999 Bonfire collapse, BUILD has sent out 22 Texas Aggie Medical Clinics (TAMCs) to 22 different countries around the world. BUILD chief executive officer and civil engineering graduate student George Waterous said he hopes BUILD can emulate the feeling of family and goal-orientedness that Bonfire had among students as they work to help communities around the globe. “Aggie Bonfire was this project that everyone was working on,” Waterous said. “It was a way that students were able to connect with one another and something that a lot of people on campus were collaborating on, and I think that created a lot of unity. That was a place where everyone was able to meet, and at its foundation, that’s the roots of BUILD. BUILD would not exist if Bonfire hadn’t existed before it. ” The first 12 clinics were dedicated to the Aggies who died in the Bonfire collapse. Since then, BUILD has dedicated another five to Aggies who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and has started the Fallen Aggie Hero Project to create 37 clinics in honor of Aggies who died during military service in or after 9/11. After being dedicated, the clinics are shipped to a company in Houston called Medical Bridges that fills each with $100,000 of medical supplies and sends them to the designated locations. “Usually we send a lot of clinics to South America, but we have a non-government organization that is starting a branch in Romania and they specifically asked for one of the clinics,” Launikitis said. “We’re really excited to go that way and go to a different part of the world and then keep going from there.” This year, one of the clinics is dedicated to George H.W. and Barbara Bush, who invested a lot of their time into Texas A&M and the health of people around the world. “We just figured that they’ve done so much for our organization,” Launikitis said. “Going to third-world countries and helping with worldwide healthcare was a mission for George H.W. and Barbara Bush, so we wanted to continue their legacy at A&M by honoring them with this clinic.” The leadership of BUILD is hoping to eventually make accommodations to allow students with disabilities to get involved with the project. “We are supposed to provide a volunteer experience for the entire student population,” Waterous said. “Something that’s been on my mind has been about people in wheelchairs or with other disabilities, and if they wanted to, how they would be able to get involved in the project. Right now, we’re not very well equipped for that, so that’s something that I hope we can improve on.” On Dec. 7, BUILD will dedicate this year’s clinics and host its annual gala at the Stella Hotel to give donors and organization members the chance to hear from a speaker that runs the clinic in Guatemala about how the clinic has impacted the community there. “A main part is to just say thank you to our donors and give them an update on what we’ve been doing and what their money and their resources are going toward,” Waterous said. “It’s a big celebration of the year we’ve just accomplished but also a send-off for the next group to do even better things.”