MSC ALOT Executives Serve Area Children Through Gift Drive

Jeffery Larsen ’16 and Ricardo Gonzalez ‘16, Executives for MSC Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT), organized this year’s MSC ALOT Angel Tree which assists Salvation Army in giving Christmas gifts to underprivileged youth in Bryan and College Station. MSC ALOT has hosted an Angel Tree to benefit youth in the area for 20 years. Last year MSC ALOT helped provide gifts for 400 Angels—substantially more than other organizations that host Angel Trees with the Salvation Army.

This year MSC ALOT adopted out 550 Angels ranging from newborn to 14 years of age. Tables were set up in the Memorial Student Center and Commons from 9-5 on November 14th – 26th. For those who adopted Angels, gifts will be collected until December 3rd in the Student Programs Office. Members of MSC ALOT will then help the Salvation Army sort and deliver gifts to the Angels and their families.

Jeffery and Ricardo are both members of the Community Support Sub-Committee that provides service and hope to the Bryan-College Station community. Jeffery enjoys helping and leading freshman as a sophomore executive in MSC ALOT, and the organization has given him the opportunity to serve and give back to the community. Ricardo loves helping people and believes that it is especially important to support the Bryan-College Station community that is home to Texas A&M University.

By: Sigrid Debner '12

Photos from the Jonathan Scales Fourchestra Performance at Texas A&M

MSC Town Hall hosted another Lunchbox Concert on Thursday, November 13th on Rudder Plaza. The Jonathan Scales Fourchestra from Asheville, North Carolina, self-described as a "steel pan jazz fusion power trio for the modern ear," played an hour-long set that featured Scales' skill as a composer and on the steel pan. Phill Bronson laid down a polyrhythmic groove on percussion, and Cody Wright's melodic bass playing showed evidence of his roots as a fusion guitarist. The band invited students onstage during the performance, and gave them a chance to hear and see the steel pan within a different musical context than the Caribbean music with which it is most often associated.

Check out our flickr slideshow here.

Former Students Share Their Stories of Integration at Texas A&M University

As part of the 50 Years of Inclusion, celebrating the admission of African-Americans and women to Texas A&M University, MSC LEAD invited some of the pioneers of integration to share their stories with current Texas A&M students on what the university billed as the Day of Engagement. For two hours each of the three speakers talked with dozens of students about the experiences they had in the 1960s and 70s and about the career and educational choices today's students face.

You can read more about the day's events in the November 14th edition of The Battalion, and you can read about the Former Students' experiences, along with see photos from the event, on our slideshow right here.

MSC Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow Collects Gifts for Salvation Army’s Angel Tree

MSC Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT), a freshman leadership organization of the Memorial Student Center at Texas A&M University, will once again participate in the Salvation Army’s annual Angel Tree Christmas gift drive for underprivileged children in the Brazos Valley. People who would like to make a donation can visit the 12^th Man Hall in the Memorial Student Center, or the lobby of the Commons in the south side residence hall area from 9am-5pm, Monday through Friday, from November 14^th through the 26th. MSC ALOT members will staff tables at those locations where people will be able to “adopt an angel”—a child in need—and drop off donations.

According to Katherine Dash, a freshman member of MSC ALOT, the organization’s goal this year is to provide gifts for 600 children in the Brazos Valley. If they reach that goal, ALOT will have exceeded last year’s high water mark or providing gifts for 500 children. For those unfamiliar with how Angel Tree operates, Dash says that donors can stop by one of the Angel Tree tables and select a card representing a specific child in need. The card will include the child’s name, age, gender, and a brief list of gift ideas. ALOT representatives will record the card’s identification number and the donor’s name. Donors are then asked to return the card, along with any gifts they purchase for the child they have selected, back to the ALOT tables by November 26^th.  Gifts should be unwrapped.

Last year the Salvation Army needed several vehicles to transport all of the gifts selected by MSC ALOT, and Dash and her fellow committee members hope that will be the case again this year. As noted by Mac Vu, the lead Angel Tree organizer from last year, people’s willingness to participate seems to have gone up in recent years as the collection of gifts growing at the Angel Tree tables inspires other passers-by to participate.

Organizers have created a Facebook event to help keep people interested in participating updated on the program's details and status. 

Day of Inclusion and Music Highlight MSC Programs - Week of November 11th

This Week in the MSC we're primed for Wednesday's Day of Engagement programs. This year Texas A&M University has been commemorating the 50th anniversary of the decision, by General James Earl Rudder, to admit African-Americans and women to the university. The Day of Engagement is the culmination of the university's Inclusion programming, and the MSC is participating with a couple of programs designed to engage students and encourage them to reflect on pioneering efforts to provide universal access to the benefits of higher education.

Julian Bond

Ernesto Cortes, Jr. '63

A Meeting of Young Activists

Julian Bond, a leader of the civil rights movement from its earliest days in the 1960s, and Ernesto Cortes, Jr. '63, who has received the Heinz Award in Public Policy in recognition for his work training community leaders, are scheduled to participate in a discussion program in the MSC Bethancourt Ballroom on Wednesday night at 6pm.  Prior to their appearance, however, Mr. Bond and Mr. Cortes will meet with students in a small group setting where they will discuss their earliest days as activists. This is a tremendous opportunity for students to meet with two of the leading activists of our time. The program begins at 5pm in MSC 2406.

A Day of Music

On Thursday the theme changes to music. MSC Town Hall's Lunchbox Concert series welcomes the Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, a self-described "steel drum jazz fusion power trio." Bring your lunch to Rudder Plaza and get a taste of something different. The show begins at noon.

Later that evening MSC WBAC's Started from the Bottom Now We're Where? program takes a closer look at rap music's influence on the black community and culture. The program, which features a panel discussion, begins at 7pm in PSY 108.

Comics and Zines Too!

If you like comics then you should take some time to visit the MSC Reynolds Gallery on the 2nd floor. The MSC Visual Arts Committee's current exhibition Speed Bump: Dave Coverly collects some of his best one-panel comics. And if you're interested in creating your own DIY publication then come to our Comic and Zine Workshop on Thursday at 6pm in the gallery. Email VAC advisor Eric Clausen to register for the workshop.

Started from the Bottom Now We're Where? Rap & the Black Community

Rap has been one of the most powerful cultural forces to emerge in the last thirty years. This panel discussion will look in-depth at the history of rap and how it has contributed to and personified the changes in the black community.

The lyrics, appearances, and lifestyles of rappers since the early 1980s have varied greatly. Where once rap represented the voice of the community, now an argument can be made that rap projects the listener's "ideal life" rather than the community's "real life." 

Our distinguished panelists will share their perspectives on rap's history, its present, and perhaps where it is headed in the future. 

This program will take place on Thu Nov 14 at 7pm in PSY 108. Panelists who will participate include:

Dr. Derek J. Wilson

Associate Professor of Psychology

Prairie View A&M University

Dr. James T. Jones III

Associate Professor of History

Prairie View A&M University

Dr. Tommy Curry

Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Texas A&M University

Dr. Veeda V. Williams

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Sociology

Prairie View A&M University

Dr. Reuben A. Buford May

Professor of Sociology

Texas A&M University

Donate to Care Packages with Whoop! for Troops

MSC LEAD will be hosting their annual care package drive to benefit U.S. troops who will be separated from their families while serving overseas this holiday season.  With Veterans Day only a week away, get in the spirit of the day by making a contribution.  Below is a list of items that will help make the lives of American servicemen and servicewomen a little brighter and comfortable this winter. 

LEAD volunteers will also be collecting signatures on greeting cards that will also be sent to troops serving overseas. Local elementary schoolchildren have designed thousands of cards. Now they're just waiting for you to sign them. Visit Rudder Plaza from 10am-2pm all week (Nov. 4th-8th) to sign a card.

Contact lead@msc.tamu.edu if you have any questions about where, what, or how to make a donation.

The following items of the most requested by U.S. troops:

• phone cards (#1 most requested item; so they can phone their loved ones
• VISA and M/C gift cards (#2 most requested item; gives them maximum flexibility
• personal hygiene items
• wet wipes, individually wrapped in foil packs (not gel bottles
• body wipes in plastic pull-out canisters
• disposable razors - men's and women's
• Chap Sticks
• floss
• toothbrushes
• feminine products
• foot powder
• magazines
• books
• fun posters and calendars for dressing the place up
• AA batteries
• AAA batteries
• movie DVDs
• music CDs
• iPODs (empty)
• small earphones
• 1 GB and 2 GB USB memory sticks (external hard drives) (blank)
• beef jerky and sticks
• peanuts and nuts in cans with lids
• tins and packets of flavored coffee and cappuccino
• candy
• gum
• breath mints

Servicemen and Servicewomen Focus of Programs in MSC the Week of November 4

The men and women who serve in the United States armed forces will be the focus of several events taking place in the MSC (and across Texas A&M University) in the week prior to Veterans Day.  MSC LEAD will conduct its annual Whoop! for Troops care package drive beginning on Monday, November 4^th and ending on Friday, November 15^th.  MSC OPAS presents the one-man production “Beyond Glory - The Story of 8 Men of Incredible Valor:  Medal of Honor Winners All” in Rudder Theatre on Wednesday, November 6^th. And on Thursday, November 7^th at 2pm in the MSC Bethancourt Ballroom, Texas A&M University hosts a ceremony commemorating Medal of Honor recipient Clarence Eugene Sasser, who will take his place in the MSC Hall of Honor with seven other Aggies who have received the Medal of Honor.

Donate Care Package Items to
Whoop! for Troops

The first of these events, Whoop! For Troops, gives the campus community the chance to donate goods for care packages that will be sent to U.S. soldiers currently serving overseas.  An estimated 200,000 American servicemen and servicewomen are serving overseas. Many of them are serving under hazardous conditions and will be separated from their families during the holiday season.  According to Leslyn Felder, program organizer for MSC LEAD, her committee has been collecting care package goods and sending greeting cards to troops since 2007.  “Last year we had over 3,000 cards signed and over 1,000 pounds of goods sent overseas,” she says.  “We are hoping to exceed this amount and give even more this year.” 

Greeting cards created by elementary school children in Bryan and College Station will be available for people to add their greetings and signatures November 4-8 from 10am-2pm on Rudder Plaza between the MSC and Rudder Tower.  Donations of care package items will also be collected at Rudder Plaza as well as in donation boxes located in the Koldus Building, Sbisa Dining Hall, and the MSC Programs Office in room MSC 2240.  According to Felder frequently requested care package items include phone cards, Visa and Master Card gift cards, personal hygiene items, books, DVDs, magazines, batteries, coffee, jerky, canned nuts, candy and flash drives.  MSC LEAD volunteers will pack up all the items and ship them to Support Our Troops in time for them to be distributed to troops by the end of the year. Contact lead@msc.tamu.edu for more information.

Gen. Stan McChrystal, David Sanger, and Amb. Ryan Crocker to speak at Rudder Auditorium

The MSC Wiley Lecture Series presents
Boots Off The Ground: A 21st Century American Military

For 31 years, the MSC Wiley Lecture Series has brought world renowned speakers to the Texas A&M University campus, broadening the educational experience of the Texas A&M community by encouraging thought-provoking discussion on national and foreign policy issues. Continuing this legacy, we are pleased to welcome David Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent for the New York Times and Foreign Policy Specialist, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, and former Ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan, and General Stan McChrystal to speak at Boots Off The Ground: A 21st Century American Military on November 8, 2013 at 7.30pm in Rudder Auditorium. Tickets for the event are available online or in person at the MSC Box Office, which is located on the 1st floor of Rudder Tower. Students and active duty members receive a discount.

In response to the changing shape of America's global enemy, the United States has begun to shift from warfare based on manpower and overwhelming force to an increasing reliance on intelligence-led precision warfare, including the use of tools such as drone warfare, Special Forces strikes, and instruments of cyber-warfare. While these tools promise to save the lives of American soldiers, there are a great number of questions surrounding their use, ranging from ethical and legal issues to America’s long-term diplomatic strategy. “Neither speaker is limited to these topics, however, and we are very excited to see how each speakers' personal experience will impact the program's dialogue,” says Taylor Arnold, Chair of the MSC Wiley Lecture Series. “General Stan McChrystal, David Sanger, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker come from different professional backgrounds, and I am looking forward to seeing how this will influence the program's panel discussion and any dialogue that arises during the Q&A portion.”

Russian Film Festival - Born In the USSR: 28 Up

If you're a fan of documentary films, then you probably know about the British "7Up" series in which the filmmaker revisits a group of individuals every seven years to see how their lives are progressing. The MSC Jordan Institute is screening a Russian interpretation of the concept. The first version of this series was filmed by director Sergey Miroshnichenko in 1990, just as the Soviet Union was crumbling and the Iron Curtain came crashing down.

See how the world has changed through the eyes of Stas and Dennis, Tanya, Almaz, Rita, Andrei, and Asya tomorrow night, Thursday, October 24th at 7pm in MSC2300A. Read more about the film here and here. Check out the trailer below.