The Battalion — April 11, 2024

Rapper Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack line comes to A&M

Limited-edition retail collection made available to students

By Mikayla Martinez @mikayla25news

clothing drop on April 4.

The record company Cactus Jack launched a “first-of-its-kind” college-inspired collection of apparel,

CANCER CONTINUED

“The new drug trial is … going to chew off the estrogen receptor, the main thing that fuels the cells.”

Verzenio is currently listed at $15,405.72 per month, which presents a significant financial burden for many cancer patients.

The support Pozzi gained from her department, her friends and her Christian faith were a major source of comfort for her, she said.

“Our department, absolutely amazing. [Other instructors] came to my house at least once every week. They would do bake sales, bring money for us, they made a ‘Pray For Dr. Pozzi’ bracelet … that

“Jack Goes Back to College,” with A&M as one of the 28 colleges selected.

enjoy Scott’s other

part was amazing,” Pozzi said. Pozzi represents a rising cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer at younger ages in the United States. This trend has jump-started research into breast cancer. Weston Porter, Ph.D., of the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology is looking to address this trend within his lab.

creations. “[We tried to] tap into the cultural relevance with Cactus Jack and Travis Scott and bring some really unique and higher-end products to the college marketplace,” Witsken said. “… It’s going to be a little disruptive and cater to the fashion fan and culture consumer. It definitely is disruptive in terms of the challenges and bringing it to market, but there’s a reason that we did it, and you can see it with the line.”

Outsources brand ambassador Jasmine Bowie assisted with the launch on early Thursday morning. Bowie said the store opened at 8 a.m. and students shopped the collection for hours. A DJ booth and speakers

“We’re looking at metastatic, ER positive breast cancer,” Porter said. “We’re looking at women who have breast cancer before age 45. One of the [principal investigators] on the grant, Ginger Borges, she’s an oncologist, and when she looks at patients she says … ‘I’m trying to get them to weddings and graduations.’”

Porter is a mentor at the TREC center and hopes to bring his decades of experience at A&M to young researchers.

“I’m there to help with the idea a little bit but mainly to make sure they’re not stepping on ‘landmines,’” Porter said. “I want to make sure they’re doing everything correctly, so when they do use their ideas they have the right tools in place.”

Like Raghavan, Porter said his work is meant to expand access to new treatments and research.

“That’s why these research centers like [TREC] are so neat, you just don’t realize how quickly you

playing Scott’s music were set up outside the bookstore entrance for those in line to enjoy as fans spent their morning shopping.

Biomedical sciences senior Taha Hussain said she has been a fan of Travis Scott for years and lined up outside at 7 a.m. “I’m most excited about the T-shirt, and just to have a piece of merchandise with my school and my favorite artist on it, I think that is awesome,” Hussain said. “I’m a rager. I love Travis Scott. I am a big fan … When I heard about this, I got really excited and, at the same time, kind of disappointed because of the expensive prices, but what can you do?”

get treatments into the general population through these large medical centers,” Pozzi said. Pozzi said she had two main objectives: empowering students to make better choices and teaching empathy to future healthcare professionals.

“As an educator, when you teach biochemistry … you want to understand how your body is designed to work, and when things go wrong, what’s going wrong. It helps you think about things,” Pozzi said. “They are future nutritionists, dentists, vets, chiropractors. I think sharing my story also will help with how the diagnosis goes and help think beyond the classroom and a

Fans at the launch spent a pretty penny to participate in the collaboration, and some even bought large amounts to resell online.

Finance sophomore Cal Graham arrived at the event at 6:45 a.m. and waited around two hours to get inside.

“I just needed a new sweatshirt, and since I’m a Travis Scott fan and all my friends were coming, it was the perfect opportunity to get an exclusive cool sweatshirt,” Graham said. “It was all really good quality, and I like the designs … if it were cheaper, I would have bought a lot more.”

test into the reality of what you’re learning.”

Pozzi says she expects to live the rest of her life with cancer.

“It’s not about a cure,” Pozzi said. “It’s about a treatment, to withstand time before cancer gets the better of my body … When you find yourself melting down over a test or a busy week, keep it in perspective. It’s all a learning point. There will be harder days ahead, and hard news to deliver … But with the hard comes the great.”

Those wishing to support Pozzi can do so by contributing to her GoFundMe campaign.

BATTALION Left to Right: Cactus Jack’s Apperal Drop at the MSC Barnes and Noble on Thursday, April 4, 2024

Live life with no ‘regerts’

Opinion writer says while tattoos are no longer taboo in the corporate world, students should still proceed with caution

@Charis_Batt Charis Adkins

for their message.

Mom, but that’s just not true anymore. If anything, tattoos should act as proof you can succeed in a corporate environment. They prove you can sit down and not fidget for the duration of a time-consuming and painful process, which sounds an awful lot like weathering a team meeting at any office job to me. Tattoos are a form of art. Like piercings and hair dye, they offer a vehicle for self-expression, one more permanent than an earring or T-shirt. They can be chosen for their aesthetic merit and beauty or

Some of the most popular tattoo designs are flowers, hearts and inspirational or biblical messages. They can be used as a form of beautification or chosen because they hold a deeper meaning to the person. Choosing a tattoo is a very intimate process, and the kinds of tattoos a person has can say a lot about them, something workplaces have been picking up on in recent years.

A 2018 study found “no empirical evidence of employment, wage or earnings discrimination against people with various types of tattoos.” In fact, people with tattoos were actually more likely to hold a job than those without.

That’s right, folks. The age of tattoos hindering job prospects is over.

This is partially due to the abundance of tattoos in this day and age. In 1999, only 21% of American households reported including a tattooed person. As of 2018, that number is up to 40%. With so many

people getting inked, it’s no wonder employers have become more lenient.

Of course, this isn’t to suggest you should go get full sleeves right away. The 2018 study mostly considered blue-collar workers, and while the entire job market is becoming more accepting, you should still be wary of what and where you get tattooed.

In the public eye, some tattoos are considered “trashier” than others. For example, face tattoos are a nogo if you’re aiming for a white-collar job. Vulgar or inappropriate tattoos are also inadvisable. While that topless mermaid bicep tat may look great right now, you might see it in a different light when you’re sitting at the interview table.

You could always cover it up, of course. I have an uncle who’s tatted from the top of his neck to the tips of his toes. He wears pants and a turtleneck to work every day, which may not sound bad until you remember we’re in Texas. Remember last

summer when Houston peaked at 108 degrees? He was stuck sweating in jeans and a turtleneck.

Don’t get me wrong — I love tattoos, and my uncle has some pretty awesome ones. But, if I could go back in time to when he was getting his first sleeve and ask him what he was going to do when he got a job, I can guarantee that he wasn’t planning that far ahead.

Don’t let me scare you away from ink, though. The answer isn’t to not get tattoos. It’s to look ahead.

Think long and hard about what you want, where you want it and how it’s going to look in a decade or two. As a general rule, stay away from celebrities and anything else that can sour on a dime. It would be really awkward to have gotten a tattoo of your favorite NFL running back O.J. Simpson and then … well, you know.

If you have a design you think you like, sit on it for at least six months. If you don’t still like it af-

ter half a year, you’ve saved yourself from a lifetime of regret. “No regerts,” am I right fellas? Plus, that will give you time to save up. Ink ain’t cheap.

At the end of the day, tattoos are permanent. No duh, right? But that means you should plan ahead. Even if you’re headed for a lifestyle where offensive tattoos can be embraced, is a vulgar tattoo on your calf really what you want your grandchildren to see when you get older? Do you want that bicep tattoo to be why you can’t wear short sleeves around your future kids? We’re in a part of our lives where everything feels temporary. Don’t make a mistake you’ll regret for the rest of your life.

Charis Adkins is an English junior and opinion columnist for The Battalion.

Graphic by Ethan Mattson — THE BATTALION

Aggies hit the road to Alabama

No. 12 A&M softball hopes to add three more wins to its 31-8 record

By Idani Cantu @idanicantu

The No. 12 Texas A&M softball team heads to Tuscaloosa against sweet home No. 13 Alabama in a rare Saturday-Sunday-Monday series, starting April 13 at 11:30 a.m.

Both teams have their fair share of excellent players. Aggie graduate CF Jazmine Hill was awarded the SEC Player of the Week after going 6-for-9 at the plate within the week, including a 5-for-8 go in A&M’s series win against Kentucky.

Combining the Aggies’ games against Prairie View A&M and Kentucky, Hill racked up a double and a triple, five walks, four runs and three RBIs, and that’s just offensively. Defensively, she had three putouts and two assists added to her record, including a game-ending 8-2-6 putout in the second win against Kentucky.

Popping out for the Aggies has also been junior LF Kramer Eschete. Her fielding abilities assist in ensuring a secure defense.

In Game 3 against the Wildcats, Eschete had a failed attempt to rob a home run from sophomore C Karissa Hamilton, but that didn’t stop her from continuing to keep all outfield hits in play and keeping runners to just one base.

Another standout is junior LHP Emiley Kennedy, who already racked up 134 strikeouts this season. With her specialty changeup pitch, “Lefty” managed to hold the Wildcats to six hits during the Aggies’ 2-1 weekend.

During its battle with Kentucky, there were a decent amount of strikeouts from A&M. In the last inning of Game 3, with runners on first and second and one out, the Maroon and White could not pull their side up and left Davis Diamond with a 1-0 loss.

With a 31-8 record, the Aggies have continued to rise and fall between their No. 12 and No. 14 rankings over the past couple of weeks. Wherever the Aggies went, the Crimson Tide followed, moving from 15th to 13th after A&M went 14th to 12th.

Some of Alabama’s players also earned SEC accolades, including graduate RHP Kayla Beaver with SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week and freshman RHP Jocelyn Briski with SEC Freshman of the Week. Beaver went 2-0 in two starts against Ole Miss, allowing her team to secure its first SEC series win and sweep the series. She threw 11.2 shutout innings in two appearances, throwing 16 strikeouts. Her offspeed pitches work especially well with left-handed batters, of which A&M has many. Her inside pitches get fairly close to the batter while still maintaining the ball in the strike zone. At the start of Game 3 against Ole Miss, Beaver threw 4.2 shutout innings with seven strikeouts to take

THROWING DOWN IN THE RING

Farmers Fight Night culminated months of training, planning in nine bouts in heart of Reed Arena

By Zoe May @MayZoella

“Throw the 1, follow with the 2!”

“Keep your hands up!”

“Tie him up!”

It was the sixth fight of the night. The crowd was either on its feet or the edge of its seats as shouts from the coaches in each corner permeated the air. In the red corner, finance junior AJ Baird. In the blue corner, electrical engineering senior Emiliano Sanchez.

Round 1 proved aggressive from the jump with both Baird and Sanchez trading blows. As they moved into Round 2, the crowd remained invested, screaming for both corners. Sanchez tried to play levels early, swinging shots to both Baird’s upper and lower body, but Baird responded by backing him against the ropes. Heads in the crowd bobbed and weaved, trying to get a glimpse as the two fighters moved from corner to corner, trading blows.

ing the audience an easy view of the blood covering both of their faces and shorts. The room grew quiet for the first time in the entire fight as everyone waited with anticipation for the climax.

And then it came. Like a lion released from a cage, Sanchez unleashed on Baird in the final seconds of the bout. When the final bell rang, Sanchez had backed Baird into a corner with his blows. However, despite Sanchez’s strong finish, Baird held the momentum throughout the first round, so no victory was guaranteed.

Baird and Sanchez were slumped with exhaustion as they awaited the results, fists clenched in the announcer’s grip. The corner coaches watched on with bated breath until finally it was announced that Sanchez won by split decision, and the crowd erupted.

ring, it’s a professional level thing.” The boxers competed in two teams with assigned coaches outside of the individual competition: the red corner and the blue corner. Red dominated the night, winning six of the nine fights, with blue’s first win not coming until the fourth fight between forensics junior Christian Chavira, the victor, and agricultural leadership and development senior Angelo Castro.

Baseball looks for SEC revenge

No. 3 A&M heads into rematch with Vanderbilt after 2023 SEC Championship

By Kolton Becker @kolton_becker

This weekend, No. 3 A&M carries unfinished business with No. 6 Vanderbilt after the Commodores earned bragging rights in their 10-4 victory on May 28 of last year. With the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament beginning May 21, this series at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park will play a pivotal role in seeding and deciding which team will potentially host an NCAA regional.

So far this season, the Aggies are second in the SEC West, holding a 29-4 record. All four losses for the Aggies have been from teams in the SEC with an 8-4 conference record. On the contrary, the Commodores are second in the SEC East with a 26-7 record and 8-4 in the conference.

A&M will be stepping onto the field winning nine of its last 10 games. At home, the Maroon and White carry a 21-1 record with the 12th Man playing a major factor in home field advantage. On the road, the Commodores have not found much success, winning only two of their six games thus far.

The Aggies are coming off of a midweek 6-5 win against UTSA on April 9. Defensively, A&M had a sloppy game where it allowed free base runners and four errors.

Sage Stamper Blue Corner Coach

“Everyone here is going to tell you that it’s been a long and arduous road,” blue corner coach Sage Stamper said, who doubles as a political science senior at A&M. “That it’s a tale of perseverance and getting back up in unlikely situations. Every other sport you can try at your meets and you can fail and you can feel bad, cry some tears, but nothing will make your blood boil more than what happens in this little 20-by-20 ring.”

The red corner spent the night focusing on scoring points with significant strikes rather than reaching for the often unattainable knockout.

“One day there’s going to be a ring in the middle of Kyle Field,”

With the time on the clock running out, Sanchez grabbed the advantage with both hands when he slammed a back-foot blow to Baird’s jaw, forcing a mandatory standing eight count from the referee that turned into a medic timeout.

With one round to go and Baird already showing signs of fatigue, Sanchez switched tactics: instead of going blow-for-blow in hope of accumulating more significant strikes, Sanchez played the long game. The first half of Round 3 was spent with both fighters in a constant tie, giv-

Farmers Fight Night was held in Reed Arena on Thursday, April 4 as a project a year in the making. With all proceeds going towards cancer research through United Way Brazos Valley, Farmers Fight Night hosted nine amateur boxing matches featuring Texas A&M students. Due to the event’s facilitation by USA Boxing, all fighters were subsequently ranked according to their results among other registered boxers.

“This is insane for your first fight,” history junior Edward Clark said before his fight. “This is a professional level thing. So, I didn’t really put that into perspective, but holy moly, this is a pretty big deal. All these lights, all these seats — it doesn’t matter if they’re filled. I guess that’s the one thing going through my head: stepping into a

Bout champions international studies senior Francis Cristal, construction science sophomore Will Loftin, Clark and aerospace engineering senior Jake Young found success in this method, winning their fights with late barrages between the guards of their opponents.

Yet community health senior Kobe Mora found his own path to victory. Forcing a standing eight count in the first round with a hook to the head, Mora sent a message of overwhelming strength early, but his opponent, political science sophomore Chandler Banks, fought back to send Mora to the mat.

Banks’ upper hand didn’t last long as another hook from Mora sought revenge, landing Banks on his back in the middle of the ring in Round 2. Exhaustion weighed Banks’ arms, lowering his guard and

“Played about as brutal of baseball as you could possibly play that I ever remember an A&M team playing,” coach Jim Schlossnagle said.

After trailing early in what was arguably one of the Aggies’ worst starts to begin a game, the offense was able to create magic and get the job done thanks to senior C Jackson Appel hitting three opposite field home runs.

“We got him in that [cleanup] spot because he puts the ball in play,” Schlossnagle said. “I’m really proud of our team for staying in the fight.”

The Aggies are currently ranked eighth in the country in home runs with 64, 11th in slugging percentage at .555 and 13th in on-base percentage with a .434 clip. Junior RF Braden Montgomery leads A&M with 51 RBIs and 17 home runs, while sophomore CF Jace LaViolette is second in home runs with 14. Meanwhile, freshman 3B Gavin Grahovac is second with 39 RBIs and third in home runs with 11.

The high-powered batting of Grahovac, LaViolette, Montgomery and Appel will look to carry the offensive momentum and give Vanderbilt one of its toughest tests this season.

Vanderbilt has won seven of its last eight games. Most recent-

The last time Texas A&M baseball faced off against Vanderbilt was back in the 2023 SEC Tournament Championship in Hoover, Alabama.

Light Heavyweight fighter Emiliano Sanchez celebrates his victory over opponent AJ Baird during Farmers Fight Night on Thursday, April 4th, 2024, at Reed Arena.

SOFTBALL CONTINUED

BASEBALL CONTINUED

-ly, Vanderbilt played April 9 against Middle Tennessee, winning 14-1 in seven innings. In that game, the Commodores’ offense came alive, recording 14 hits. The pitching staff had a solid performance, allowing only four hits and striking out 12 batters.

The offense for the Commodores features several threats at the plate. Their top hitters include sophomore 1B RJ Austin, senior C Alan Espinal and senior CF Calvin Hewett, who all have above a .300 average. In last year’s neutral site matchup, the Aggies’ pitching staff struggled, giving up five runs in the bottom of the eighth. During that game,

the Aggies sent eight pitchers to the mound, while the Commodores’ pitching staff used five pitchers. Pitching will be a key to winning the series as both squads had their issues in the past, but finding a way to get on base will be vital too.

On the mound, Schlossnagle is expected to hand the ball to redshirt sophomore LHP Ryan Prager

to open the series. In his last outing on April 5, Prager went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs off four hits while striking out 12 against South Carolina. The Commodores are anticipated to give the nod to junior RHP Greysen Carter. In Carter’s last outing, he worked 3.2 innings, allowing nine runs, seven of which were

earned, giving up seven hits, three walks and two strikeouts against LSU.

First pitch on Friday, April 12 is set for 6 p.m. at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park with the game streaming on SEC Network+.

Sophomore INF Amari Harper (13) hands the ball to senior INF Rylen Wiggins (2) during Texas A&M’s game against Kansas. Right: Senior INF Trinity Cannon celebrates with her team after hitting a home run during Texas A&M’s game against North Texas on March 6, 2024 at Davis Diamond. Photos by Jamie Rowe — THE BATTALION

their hopes and dreams go beyond a one-time event. “I had a pipe dream of having a ring somewhere important one day,” Stamper said. “It has been a long push by many students at A&M to have a combat sports event, to have a boxing event. This is the culmination of those dreams, this is the start of it all, and, mark my words, one day there’s going to be a ring in the middle of Kyle Field.” Top