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DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

MSC Development Newsletter: SPRING 2016

Welcome!In this Issue:

66th MSC President: Leading by Example

Town Hall: Behind the Music

CAMAC: Mis Quince

Expanding Horizons: The Langenstein Family

Jordan & FLI: #RefYOUgee

VAC: ArtFest

Aggie Tradition: The Rozinsky Family

67th MSC President: Looking Forward

Selfless Service

66th MSC President: Leading by ExampleZach Rozinsky ‘15, served as 66th MSC President. Zach, from Wiley, Texas, majored in Industrial Engineering and graduated May 12th. He will start as a consultant for Deloitt in September.

I have had the great privilege of serving as the 66th MSC President. As my tenure comes to an end, I can’t help but reflect on the incredible year that we are concluding and all the success and accomplishments the MSC has experienced.

This year, the MSC is projected to attract more than 105,000 total attendees to more than 200 programs. We were intentional about increasing our attendance and impact through our programs and, if our projections are correct, we will see an all-time high number of attendees.

In addition to producing excellent programs, the MSC has continued to bolster its reputation for being a welcoming home for each and every student that walks across campus. Our current demographics reflect that MSC committees have achieved a more diverse student population than that of the university. We continue to champion inclusion initiatives and encourage next-level thinking to ensure the MSC continues to be the premiere marketplace of ideas of Texas A&M.

Although changing times lead to changes within the MSC, it has become clear to me over the course of the year that the fundamental purpose and heart of the MSC is as pure now as it was in 1951. We may not house the same committees, our programs may cover different topics, and we may have more students under our roof, but the MSC’s commitment to developing the minds of Aggies and providing them life-changing experiences has not wavered. While I may not know exactly what the MSC will look like in 2051, I do know its ability to mold young people into leaders of character will be as powerful as ever. Gig ‘em!

66th and 67th MSC Presidents Zach Rozinsky & Brian O’Hara reflect on the past year and year to come.

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MSC Town Hall engages the student body by providing a variety of live music and entertainment programs. Members take charge of the promotion and execution of events, bringing a wide variety of music and entertainment to campus that appeals to diverse student interests. Texas A&M President Young approached the committee in December to help host the holiday event, “Gather to Give.” The event was a joint operation between MSC Town Hall, 12th Can and President Michael Young and his wife, Marti Young, to give back to students during the busy final weeks of the semester.

Tommy White, an executive in charge of the Special PA Members (SPAM) subcommittee of MSC Town Hall, joined the organization because of his love of music and the opportunity to be a part of something that has a

great impact on many peoples’ lives. SPAM is the force that that makes Town Hall’s shows run smoothly and consists of audio professionals who deal with any technical difficulties. SPAM makes sure the Town Hall sound system gets where it needs to be and set up properly. Tommy played a key role in running sound and operating the soundboard at “Gather to Give.”

Tommy describes the process of setting up sound as, “We take it a step further. Often times we are behind the sound board but also performing a number of other important tasks like assembling the speakers, running cords and wires for instruments, adding microphones to drums and amplifiers, as well as working with bands to ensure that they are comfortable with their stage set-up and how they sound!”

The opportunity to co-host an event with President Young gave Tommy a new perspective about MSC Town Hall. “I noticed a striking similarity in the program’s goals and what we do as an organization. We quite literally gather together to give the campus entertainment experiences. Being part of an important program like this, I learned how to better organize myself and my committee to achieve proper timing, quality sound, as well as task delegation. I was also taught that to be a good leader, I must trust my team to handle important tasks, just as President Young trusted us,” said Tommy.

MSC Town Hall gives students an outlet for their passion for music and an inside look and experience at putting on concerts. For more information, visit townhall.tamu.edu.

MSC Town Hall: Behind the Music

MSC Development Newsletter: Spring 2016

MSC CAMAC: Mis Quince AñosEvery spring, MSC CAMAC invites the A&M and Bryan-College Station communities to celebrate Mis Quince Anos, a re-enactment of a traditional Latino celebration of a girl’s fifteenth birthday. The program is designed to help everyone better understand the cultural celebration. CAMAC selects girls from the Bryan/College Station area who otherwise may not be able to have her own Quinceanera. This tradition allows CAMAC to give back to the local community and help a young girl celebrate a personal and cultural milestone.

A Quinceañera is a “coming of age” event in a Hispanic girl’s life, and MSC CAMAC members dedicate their efforts to fit the wishes of the young lady who is selected to be honored. This year’s presentation included traditional dances and ceremonies; each component of the ceremony was explained to the guests to bring a better overall understanding of what each portion of the quinceañera means. MSC CAMAC’s goal is to share this tradition with the student body and local citizens as well as to unite family, friends and the community.

The quinceañera, Irma Celia Castro, said “I enjoyed learning and celebrating my culture through Mis Quince. My family and I are grateful I was able to be a part of such a diverse tradition by being the 2016 Quinceañera!”

The event also featured Aggieland Mariachi, an organization that strives to make an impact by enriching the environment with the Hispanic Heritage of a traditional mariachi ensemble. This year, more than 400 family members, friends and students came together to celebrate Irma Castro’s 15th birthday.

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Thank you to the Association of Former

Students for its continued support of MSC programs.

Stay connected at the Aggie Network at aggienetwork.com.

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Expanding Horizons: The Langenstein FamilyThe MSC Stark Northeast Tour provides delegates the opportunity to visit some of the nation’s most outstanding and prestigious business and law schools in Chicago, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. In the late 1960s, longtime MSC Director J. Wayne Stark recognized a need to give top Texas A&M students access to the nation’s premier law and graduate business programs. It was also important that the trip be available at a cost that wouldn’t break the typical student’s family budget. Stark called on the considerable power of his Aggie network to make that first trip happen in 1970. Stephanie Langenstein continues Stark’s legacy with her generous gift. Her endowed gift gives future generations the opportunity to expand their horizons beyond Texas.

What inspired your decision to give to Stark NE Tour?While I did not attend the Stark Trip, many friends did. The experience of going outside your comfort zone, traveling to new areas and meeting new people is very important to me. Every encounter changes you and how you view the world. It also changes those you meet and how they view where you are from. To increase the national profile of A&M, our best and brightest need to leave Texas and spread the Aggie Spirit across the country.

What legacy do you want to leave for future Aggies?I want to leave a legacy of getting involved while you attend A&M to improve and expand its programs, as well as giving back in whatever way you can. I am fortunate to be able to give a large gift, but small gifts add up, as does being an ambassador for A&M in the world. Do what you can with what you have. Anyone can be the kind of adult that makes students want to attend A&M.

What does being an Aggie mean to you?I loved the openness of A&M, the accepting of everyone who comes, the spirit of inclusiveness, the wanting to serve and the willingness to go the extra mile to help and serve others — and still do. Aggies help Aggies, and they help others; a spirit which is very powerful. I want to encourage that spirit at A&M and elsewhere.

The Stark Northeast Tour and the Memorial Student Center thank Stephanie for her kindness and impact on future Aggies. If you are interested in contributing to the Stark Northeast Tour or other MSC program, please contact Catharine West, MSC Development Relations Coordinator (979.845.1914) or Torii Kapavik, Student Affairs Director of Development (979.862.1247).

“This Stark

Northeast Tour was

one of the most

transformative

experiences I’ve had

at A&M thus far.

Getting to actually

set foot on the law

school campuses

that I’ve been

dreaming about

since I was a little

girl affirmed that

this is exactly where

I need to be.”

~2016 Stark Tour Participant

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MSC Council Development Newsletter: Fall 2009 MSC Development Newsletter: Spring 2016

MSC Jordan & MSC FLI: #RefYOUgeeThe MSC L.T. Jordan and MSC Freshmen Leadership International (FLI) hosted RefYOUgee Day an event that allowed students the opportunity to participate in a discussion about the Syrian refugee crisis. RefYOUgee Day emphasized the daily obstacles Syrian refugees face by walking students through a simulation room, an international fair and a panel to discuss the crisis in a deeper context. Overall, the event invited students to take a deeper look into what over 4 million Syrian refugees have encountered since fleeing from Syria’s Civil War.

Jocelyn Ferreira, a chemistry junior and MSC L.T. Jordan director of on-campus programming, served as liaison between Jordan and FLI.

“The goal for this event was to give the campus community the tools to educate themselves on the issue. Refugees come from all walks of life. Most news sources have a tendency to paint refugees as destitute people, lacking motivation to better their situation themselves, when in reality, they are very similar to ourselves (hence the title RefYOUgee). We wanted to humanize the label ‘refugee’ and build a better understanding.” said Ferreira.

MSC FLI and the L.T. Jordan Institute created a simulation room where students were given the chance to experience challenges refugees might face on a day-to-day basis. Students were assigned a family member role such as: mother, father, child, or grandparent. They were then guided through 13 stations that imitated what that specific family member might experience.

The stations provided students with hypothetical situations that examined questions like: should the individual leave their home, what to pack, how to cross the border, whether or not to live in a refugee camp, the decision of applying for asylum, and the daunting task of having to figure out what to do when they reached a new country. The simulation experience provided students with a new perspective about the refugee crisis and a better understanding of the challanges the refugees face.

“We tend to think of refugees as people in faraway countries, but we forget refugees are everywhere, even on this campus. I hope these lessons stick with the participants and seep further into the student body to make the TAMU campus a more welcoming and inclusive environment,” said Jocelyn Ferreira.

MSC FLI and MSC L.T. Jordan Institute earned the MSC Co-Program of the Year Award for #RefYOUgee.

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Aggie Tradition: The Rozinsky FamilyThe Aggie Ring is one of the most recognizable and symbolic of our traditions, and Aggie Ring Day has become one of the most celebrated traditions on campus. Ring Day was also a family tradition for Cassandra Rozinsky ’17 who received her Aggie Ring from older brother, Zachary Rozinsky ’15 this spring. Cassandra chose Zach to present her Aggie ring because of the special bond the two share that has extended to their lives at Texas A&M. Both are very involved on campus and in the MSC. Cassandra is a MSC Hospitality Exec and an Aggie Belle; Zach served as

MSC President and a Maroon Coat. Their leadership and involvement is remarkable, but their story goes much deeper. Brenda Rozinsky, the power duo’s mother, shares her children’s story and deep bond:

Zach and Cassie are only 17 months apart and were best friends growing up. Cassie always looked up to her older brother, and they are the first in the family to attend a four year university. It’s rare that siblings with such different directions and goals in life are so connected. They were only eight and six when their little sister was born with Down syndrome.

“Throughout these past 14 years, I have seen Zach and Cassie be a vital support to their sister and after seeing all the organizations and nonprofits that were there for us when we needed it most, it became natural that they would find ways to consistently give back within their community — that has extended to College Station as well,” said Brenda Rozinsky.

“The Aggie values resonated with them both and that is evident when you spend a few minutes talking with them about how they feel about Texas A&M ad there plans for the future! Zach and Cassie will have a special bond throughout their lives because of the Aggie spirit and the beautiful way the Aggie Community offered so many opportunities to them as students.”

ArtFest is the annual student art competition and exhibition spon-sored by the MSC’s Visual Arts Com-mittee. Students submit art pieces for judgement by a student and faculty jury.

The jury selects pieces based on a criteria of originality and style, said Mary Casillas, gallery director for the Visual Arts Committee and biochem-istry senior. Mary has been an active member of VAC since her freshmen year and plays a large role in the installation process and curating the gallery.

All of the submissions chosen by the jury are displayed in the Reynolds

MSC Visual Arts Committee: ARTFESTGallery, but the first, second and third place winners are also hon-ored at a reception and awarded prizes.

ArtFest allows students to show-case their unique, creative, and sometimes quirky talents. The mis-sion of the MSC Visual Arts Com-mittee (VAC) is to provide students opportunities to connect the visual arts with their personal, profes-sional and academic lives through art exhibitions.

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MSC Council Development Newsletter: Spring 2016

More than 2,000 students and

community members came together

for MSC FISH’s 6th annual Kyle Field

Day. The event featured more than

50 service organizations operating

information booths and a variety of

family-oriented activities to bring

awareness on how to particpate in

continual service.

67th MSC President: Looking ForwardBrian O’Hara ‘17 was selected as 67th MSC President this spring. Brian is a political science major from Austin, Texas. He recently sat down with the MSC Extra! staff to talk about the coming year and his role as the MSC President.

What previous experiences prepared you for the new role?I started with the Memorial Student Center in 2013 as a freshman in Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT), a Freshman Leadership Organization. For the first two years in the organization I developed my leadership skills through programming and collaborat-ing with people who challenged me. This past year I had the opportunity to serve as the Executive Vice President of Diversity and Committee Development, as well as the student leader for Party on the Plaza during Gig ‘Em Week. This last year has prepared me most for the role ahead, because it is crucial that our leaders are inclusive and understand the needs of the organization. Working with all of the different committees and MSC advisors has made me excited for the year ahead and what we can achieve when we work together.

What aspect of being MSC President are you most excited about?Aside from reaching the goals we have set for this year, the opportunity to connect with people of all different backgrounds is probably what excites me most. From our students to our former students and supporters, there are so many incredible people who walk through the Memorial Student Center, and I think connecting with these people is the most important responsibility of this position. Listening to others is the mark of a good leader and I intend on doing just that to ensure that we are moving forward in the right direction.

What type of impact do you hope to make?It is my hope I can work with the amazing students and experienced staff members of our organization to increase our impact — through expanding our programs, improving our internal processes, and ensuring the MSC is equipped to serve a growing student body. We have a couple areas of focus this year, but each of them deal with the fact that Texas A&M is growing faster and larger than it has ever before. In order to preserve the tradition of excellence within the MSC, we have to look internally at where we can grow and then look out into the campus community to make sure that we are serving all areas and interests. I’m excited to leave my mark on the organization and empower my teammates to do the same.

What do you hope to learn?Over the next year, I look forward to learning more about the environment outside of the Memorial Student Center. I think there is a unique responsibility to understand what is going on across campus and engage in the kind of conversations that might affect our department. This past year I worked closely with the Department of Multicultural Services and Student Government Association; while those partnerships will continue to be important, there are so many other organizations and departments on campus that we work with. I’m excited to work with my advisor, the rest of the Executive Team, and our com-mittees to form those partnerships that will encourage growth in the MSC.

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Selfless Service: An Aggie Value

Texas A&M’s commitment to service is one that includes hundreds of student organizations, many

which serve in ways you may – or may not – expect. Student involved in the MSC go above and beyond with their service with activities such as MSC FLI’s Spring Break trip to Costa Rica that gives freshmen an opportunity to participate in an international service project or MSC FISH’s dedication in preparing over 37,000 meals for children in Haiti and food banks in Bryan/College Station. Service is not a requirement — it’s just what Aggies do.

Through time, talents and treasures, our former students and supporters help the MSC achieve our mission of promoting leadership development through campus programs and service opportunities while preparing students to engage in a global society. Thank you!

To contribute, please visit msc.tamu.edu/donate.

Questions or Comments? Contact Us!Email: c-west@msc.tamu.edu

Phone: (979) 845-1914Fax: (979) 845-5117

Visit Our Website: msc.tamu.edu