access TikTok.
By Ana Renfroe @aeonia1In response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent order to take action against TikTok, Texas A&M will comply by blocking access to the app on its campus Wi-Fi networks, in addition to all university-owned devices.
According to a press release from Dec. 7, Abbott ordered a ban to end the use of TikTok on state or government issued devices as “the threat of the Chinese Communist Party
Texas A&M announced Tuesday that Fish Camp is looking for a new location.
On Jan. 17, Vice President for Student Affairs Joe Ramirez announced via email that the university will be looking for alternate Fish Camp locations. Currently, Fish Camp is hosted at Lakeview United Methodist Conference Center, a privately owned facility over 90 miles away from A&M’s main campus.
The Office of Risk, Ethics and Compliance, or OREC, conducted a survey to evaluate risk to students and is now working with the Division of Student Affairs to look for locations closer to main campus with an emphasis on risk management, transportation, safety, according to the email.
“This is a distinct opportunity to identify a location that supports the unique experiences offered at Fish Camp while also placing increased emphasis on risk management, safety and accessibility for all who participate in Fish Camp,” the email read.
Fish Camp is known as an Aggie’s first tradition, and has been held at Lakeview for over 60 years, dating back to 1957, according to A&M.
“The Lakeview Staff have become a huge part of the Aggie experience,” the website reads.
Students will play a role in evaluating alternate locations for Fish Camp, and until a new location is selected, Fish Camp will continue to be held at Lakeview, according to the email.
As of publication, The Battalion is awaiting a response from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
gaining access to critical U.S. information and infrastructure continues to grow.”
Effective Jan. 18, A&M Division of Information Technology announced via email it will block access to TikTok from all devices connected to a university network. Users at main campus and branch or remote campuses will no longer be able to use the app on any device while connected to A&M wired or Wi-Fi networks.
“The protection and security of our enterprise assets, information and intellectual property is always a top priority,” the email read.
“As we receive additional guidance as part of the governor’s directive, we will update our response plan and communicate any resulting changes.”
As of press time, users connected to the network on personal devices were still able to
On Dec. 19, university employees were instructed to not download the TikTok app on university-owned devices. If the app was previously downloaded, they were instructed to remove and stop using the app. Additionally, employees were instructed to stop creating online posts to TikTok on any official university accounts and remove any external links to TikTok from any university websites.
According to a Jan. 17 statement reported by KBTX, A&M has begun blocking access to TikTok and plans to instate further network filtering to block access to the app on campus. The new compliance measures will restrict students, employees and visitors from accessing TikTok on personal devices while connected to university-owned Wi-Fi networks.
“Based on both state and federal orders and
concerns, Texas A&M has blocked access to TikTok from state-owned devices,” A&M said, according to KBTX. “Additionally, as instructed by the Governor, we are in the process of putting in place network-based filtering that will block both wireless and wired access to downloading or accessing the app from our campus network, which means students, faculty, staff and visitors will not be able to use the app when connected to an A&M network.”
In a letter from Abbott addressing state legislative leadership about cybersecurity fears, Abbott cited the State of Texas’ responsibility to preserve online safety for Texans.
“While TikTok has claimed that it stores U.S. data within the U.S., the company admitted in a letter to Congress that China-based employees can have access to U.S. data,” Abbott wrote. “It has also been reported that ByteDance planned to use TikTok location information to surveil individual American citizens.”
By Grant Gaspard @grant_gaspard12,126 fans filed into the seats at Reed Arena on Wednesday night to witness a landmark event for Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams and his Fightin’ Texas Aggies.
For the first time since the 2015-16 campaign, Williams coached the Aggies to their first 5-0 start to conference play and continue their seven-game win streak.
On Jan. 18, the A&M basketball program played its first mirror game of the season against a Florida team they defeated by 3 on the road in Gainesville, Fla. on Jan. 4. This time, the final result ending a little closer than the last.
As the season progressed, Williams continued to lean more toward his transfers to lead the maroon and white pack rather than the returners. With a chance to start 5-0 for
the first time since his arrival, he continued to trust the two transfers who have grown tremendously since the Myrtle Beach Invitational. Junior forward Julius Marble said Williams sat down with every player 1-on-1 to discuss with them how they were performing so far into the season.
“He was honest with me, and I needed that,” Marble said.
In their last four games, two transfers have dominated both sides of the ball and have continued to add tremendous help to the maroon and white roster. Graduate guard Dex-
Education junior Courtney Smith said the students’ responsibilities at the World Cup included working with guests and helping the staff.
By Emma Lawson @ELawsonAtTheBatAt the end of 2022, Aggies had the opportunity to travel to Qatar for a guest services and event management class credit — Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Sciences 489 and 689 — on a travel abroad program to the worldwide event of the Federal Internationale de Football, or FIFA, World Cup. With most of the shifts occurring between late afternoon until past midnight, Aggies had the opportunity to travel around Qatar, visit the A&M campus and tour the small country in fascinating escapades.
“We typically do guest services, like welcoming people, greeting people, directing them to the bathroom [and] answering questions — stuff like that,” Smith said.
To embody the Aggie Spirit, Smith said they gave tour guides, and those who helped with the trip, small gifts to remember them by.
“Our professor had packed little 12th Man statues before we left,” Smith said. “Anytime we had a tour, we got to give [the statues] to them as gifts and explain what the 12th Man represents here in Texas.”
Before their shifts, the students got to embrace the culture of Qatar and get involved in local adventures, Smith said.
“I got to ride a camel,” Smith said. “I also did attend the games while we were there, and I don’t know if I’ll ever attend another World Cup game. Definitely another once in a lifetime experience.”
Sport management senior Hannah Ager said she enjoyed experiencing the culture, especially because of her personal connection with it.
“I actually have some aunts that are Muslim, so I see the culture a lot, but I haven’t been a part of it myself,” Ager said. “I got to actually be in a mosque and put on the head wrap [in Qatar].”
Working with guests allowed students to talk to a diverse group and expand their worldview, Ager said.
“The shifts were like eight hours, but we got to meet people from all
Aggies secured their first 5-0 start in conference play since the 2015-16 season, 54-52Junior F Andersson Garcia (11) celebrates after the time runs down to zero during a game vs. Florida at Reed Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2023. Ishika Samant — THE BATTALION
After over 60 years at Lakeview, freshman tradition begins search for a new homeCourtesy of Paulina Adam
Aggies travel to FIFA World Cup, gain professional experience
Popular social media platform to be banned on all devices connected to campus Wi-Fi
Taylor needs time to find success at A&M
Tanner Reese Hoang of College Station, Texas went to be with the Lord on December 24, 2022. He was 22 years old.
Tanner was born on January 11, 2000 to Kiet and Alisa Hoang in Irving, Texas. After graduating from Flower Mound High School in 2018, Tanner pursued a Civil Engineering degree from Texas A&M University. He was a member of Aggie Men’s Alliance, where he held several positions.
From an early age, Tanner understood the message of salvation through Jesus Christ and accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He made the decision
to be baptized with his sister in 2012. His faith was very important to him.
Tanner’s sisters said, “He would make everything more fun. His crazy ideas would turn any day into a funny memory. He was kind, funny, selfless, and loving.”
Tanner loved all things sports, trivia, and Texas A&M. He was the life and entertainment of the group. He loved sharing stories and making people laugh. He could be counted on to help wherever and whenever needed.
Tanner was preceded in death by his grandfather, Captain Edward Peter Bradshaw, USAF.
He is survived by his parents, Kiet and Alisa Hoang of Flower Mound, TX; sisters, Mia Hoang of College Station, TX, and Emma Hoang of Flower Mound, TX; his grandparents: Pho and Myanh Hoang of Athens, TX; and Linda Bradshaw-Espiau of Kingwood, TX; Uncles and Aunts: Quan and Imy Hoang of Carrollton, TX; Tuan and Machelle Hoang of Pearland, TX; Bao and Tina Hoang of San Jose, CA; and Craig Bradshaw of Flower Mound, TX; as well as many cousins.
Editor’s Note: This obituary was provided by the family of Tanner Hoang.
Traditions to know:
• Aggie Ring
• Elephant Walk
Yell Leaders
Bonfire/Bonfire Remembrance
By Kenzie Finch @Kenziefinch6As the spring 2023 semester kicks off, Texas A&M welcomes back both returning students and new transfers.
The university offers many ways for transfer students to get accustomed to Aggieland. A&M’s website includes information for transfers regarding deadlines, information sessions and a course sheet for students to see the A&M equivalent of courses taken at their previous institution. Students can also learn about traditions, IT help and resources and clubs to help prepare them for success this semester.
Nursing senior Brendan Cetliff transferred from the University of Houston his sophomore year and said he didn’t get involved partially due to all of his classes being online.
“The second semester [I] was basically just trying to join clubs and just meet new people so I could feel more at home at A&M,” Cetliff said. “[I wish I knew] to get involved earlier. I think the first semester I didn’t really do too much.”
A&M also has a Transfer Student Program that helps transfers find their mentors and get access to financial, academic, housing resources and more.
Upcoming information sessions for transfer students: Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. via Zoom (out-of-state transfers)
• Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. in Rudder Tower
• March 28 at 1 p.m. in Rudder Tower
Silver Taps
Century Tree
• Muster
To learn more about these traditions as well as Aggie terminology visit The Battalion’s website or ask a fellow Aggie!
IT Help/Resources:
Microsoft Office 365 — free for download Code Maroon App — receive alerts regarding immediate threats to campus, Bryan-College Station Texas A&M App — see bus routes, campus map, parking garage availability, important numbers
• Help Desk Central — IT support 24/7 via email at helpdesk@tamu.edu and via phone at (979) 845-8300
Other resources: Aggie Card — Student identification card contains dining dollars, allows access to on campus gyms, shows important campus numbers on the back Corps of Cadet escort service — Call (979) 845-6789 to request a member of the Corps of Cadets for escort services between locations on main campus, available 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and 24 hours a day on weekends.
Ever since Disney created Pandora — The World of Avatar at Disney World in 2017, fans were left thinking — wait, wasn’t that the movie with the blue people from 2009? Now, 14 years after the original, James Cameron finally blessed us with more blue people, but water flavored.
Thus, I went and saw the movie around 8 p.m. Walking out of the movie theater at midnight, I couldn’t remember a single character’s name, but I did remember the gorgeous world-building.
Similar to the first movie, the sequel continues its focus on environmentalism as the core message. It showcases this message by creating diabolical villains who murder intelligent creatures, commit hate crimes against the Na’vi and constantly choose violence. While not the most nuanced way to present its message, it gets the job done. Plotwise, Cameron also bring back the villain from the first movie, but also as an Avatar, with an underwater tree, although I might have dozed off at one point until they got back to the gorgeous underwater world.
The movie shines most in its spectacular underwater visuals. Of course, a movie with a $250 million budget can work magic in the technical aspects.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” transports you into an underwater realm that is dazzling. The use of lights, both with the Na’vi’s glowing freckles and the creature’s bioluminescence, makes the movie a fun time, regardless of whether or not you follow along with the story. Plus, the soundtrack of the movie is amazingly done. Overall, the movie is a technical wonder, and the movie performs at its best in this subject.
The acting in the movie is also well done, especially from Jake Sully’s actor Sam Worthington and Neytiri’s actress Zoe Saldana. The two feel like they’ve naturally continued their relationship from the first movie and their chemistry on-screen is pleasant. Granted, some of the emotion does get lost due to the motion capture, but I mostly liked the performances.
Unfortunately, the story does suffer somewhat due to a large cast, multiple narratives and an ending that drags on. Even one of the charaters comments on how absurd the last fifteen minutes is by saying, “I can’t believe we got captured again.” Similarly, due to the planned sequels, many of the characters seem to be in the middle of their growth. For a movie with a run time of three hours, I had hoped to have some conclusion or evidence of a change. Aside from the parents and maybe one important story beat, there’s not a lot there. The youngest daughter doesn’t change at all, for example.
If you’re wanting to turn your brain off for three hours, this is the perfect movie. Otherwise, if you’re looking for riveting plot and compelling characters, this might not be the best use of your time.
Release Date:
By Caleb Elizondo @CalebElizondo7“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is a nonstop ride of stunning visuals and endearing characters. The plot expertly manages to balance lighter ‘kid’ themes of companionship, family and humility with more mature explorations of loneliness, anxiety and even mortality in a manner both accessible and entertaining for all ages. Despite being a bit predictable, the film is undeniably satisfying and brilliant from start to finish.
Readers beware — spoilers ahead.
Directly inspired by 2018’s “Into The Spider-Verse,” the studio made the wise decision to trade the smooth viewing experience of a high frame rate for the opportunity to polish each individual image. However, where the sharp angles and textures of “Into The Spider-Verse” sought to imitate the aesthetics of a comic-book, “The Last Wish” asks, “What if this movie looked like it was a fairytale painting?”
Beginning with a prolonged fight scene between Boots and a large stone giant threatening the local townsfolk, the movie wastes no time showing off its impressive art style. As night turns into morning, the town is bathed in wonderful shades of purple and pink, the Spanish countryside appears lush and lively and the characters bold, fluid and dynamic. Any one frame from the scene could easily serve as an aesthetic painting or poster.
The visuals, however, aren’t just for show. In a simple, yet effective, exercise
legend of Puss in Boots is at risk of being extinguished. In order to stave off death, Boots must travel in search of the mystical wishing star to wish for his nine lives back.
To do so, Boots must compete and ally with returning and new characters alike. Softpaws, Boots’ rival and love interest, makes a reappearance and adds a charming romantic subplot and foil to Boots.
However, arguably even more interesting are the new additions to the cast. Similar to other films in the Shrek cinematic universe, “The Last Wish” features creative re-imaginings of classic storybook characters. John Mulaney gives an especially humorous performance of a benevolent “Big” Jack Horner of nursery-rhyme fame, who selfishly seeks the star’s wish to hoard all the world’s magic for himself. In addition, Florence Pugh’s crime-boss Goldilocks, Goldi, commands a satisfying subplot which mirrors Boots’ own search for family and companionship.
However, my personal favorite addition to the cast was Death himself. Disgusted by Boots’ indifference towards his own mortality and failure to appreciate his many lives, Death stalks Boots throughout his journey, eager to claim his remaining life. Excellently voiced by Wagner Moura, the wolf casts a dark and imposing presence upon the entire narrative, even despite having relatively little screen time himself.
“The Last Wish” is a narrative roller coaster in the best way possible. Each scene meaningfully shifts the tone and dynamic of the film. Boots struggles to maintain a budding relationship with Softpaws while on the run. Momentum is constantly shifting as new alliances are repeatedly created and broken. Who will get the wishing star? Can Boots outrun Death?
While most of the plot is playful and lighthearted, it never shies away from sincere and even dark moments. The thematic elements are certainly overt, but never feel too heavy handed.
Many will understandably write this film off without watching as a lazy cash-grab in a long line of subpar DreamWorks sequels. However, “The Last Wish” is proof that DreamWorks’ animation and storytelling is rapidly evolving. So watch out, Pixar!
At The Battalion, our writers and columnists are required to maintain a Twitter account to hold them accountable to the public and encourage interaction with the community. Thanks to this policy, our desk members received an abundance of encouraging comments and constructive criticism last year. Unfortunately, all of these positive results have come at a high cost: browsing Twitter.
So without further ado: the opinion staff’s picks for the worst tweets of 2022:
By Saanya Troutman @SaanyalacheJ.K. Rowling, known for her notorious anti-transgender takes, ended the year with a classic unprovoked jab using the term “TERF” as “trans-exclusionary radical feminist.” What better way to enjoy the holidays than to attack an already marginalized group, some of which are the readers who grew up on your novels? Merry Christmas, I guess.
By Caleb Elizondo @CalebElizondo7Have you ever wondered what would happen if you fed an AI chatbot a nonstop stream of Fox News content and then gave it a Twitter account? Or perhaps forced a Tucker Carlson monologue through a game of telephone and several rounds of Google Translate? To the curious reader, I humbly present Representative Clay Higgins.
While most of Higgins’ feed is fairly predictable, a long scroll will inevitably yield a nugget of comedy gold. Woke sky? Non-binary fuss? Intercontinental ballistic tweets? How could I not select this as the worst tweet of 2022?
By Charis Adkins @Charis_Batt
English is both my first language and my major, and I still have no idea what’s going on. It took a 15-minute foray into the vernacular wasteland that is Urban Dictionary for me to have a tentative grasp on the meaning of this tweet, and even then I’m not 100% confident. The fact that we live in a world where over 10,000 people, not only understood, but physically liked whatever message this is trying to convey is an exhausting notion. Be careful out there, folks — and maybe it’s time to bookmark Urban Dictionary.
By Lilia Elizondo @LiliaElizondo05
The reasoning for this is simple. No one wants a calendar. We want Mr. Martin to finally complete Winds of Winter. Why is he doing this to us?
By Benjamin Barnes @Ben_Batt24
There have always been questions that piqued the interest of, and defined human curiosity. What is the meaning of life? Are we alone in this desolate universe? HA! Mere child’s play compared to the age-old question anyone sorry enough to call themselves an avid user Twitter wrestles with daily. Is Nick Adams just a pathetic moron who’s mad at the world, or is he the greatest troll our generation has ever seen?
By Ryan Lindner @ryanlindner12
Rockets launched. Cities destroyed. The ever-looming possibility of World War III. But, hey, at least the “aesthetics” of it all look so very epic! Nuclear Armageddon? Who cares as long as the vibes are right?
Whether it’s the tone-deaf composition or the weird child-like ignorance of human suffering, this is one of those tweets that makes you yearn for the inevitable demise of this cursed app.
By Valerie Muñoz @Val4Batt
This tweet comes from a very serious Harvard grad and political pundit. The question is, does he think that John Legend is as admirable as Volodymyr Zelensky because of his legendary last name or his charming emails?
Here’s my piece of advice: even though it may be flattering to get a “personal message’’ from a celebrity, it is perfectly acceptable to refrain from endorsing their non-existent bid for president. I’m not exactly sure Legend’s “All of Me” was supposed to be interpreted as political.
By Ana Sofia Sloane @anasofiasloane
There’s just so much to unpack here: the wild take that President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine stems from bad parenting, the painfully dramatic and poorly written poetry and the failure to read the room.
While AnnaLynne McCord wishes she could’ve shown Putin some motherly love to unlock his potential as a “powerful being of light,” I wish Twitter as a whole could’ve been deactivated as the devastating Russian-Ukraine conflict unfolded in the East last year.
Since
ter Dennis has averaged 11.8 points, eight rebounds and 1.3 steals per game since the start of conference play while Marble has averaged 14.8 points, five rebounds and at least one block per game.
They surpassed both their averages by the end of the night.
To start the game, Marble posted up to his opposing defender, senior forward Colin Castleton, and finished the possession with a left-handed hook shot for the first lead and the first score of the night. No longer than two minutes later, Dennis finished a fast break with a one-handed slam that shook not only the rim but the entire arena.
When junior forward Henry Coleman III picked up a quick foul at the beginning of the game, a Mississippi State transfer came in to pick up a quick assist on a pass to senior guard Tyrece Radford. Despite not having the most beautiful stat line, junior forward
Andersson Garcia has been one of Williams’ most valuable bench players this season as he has averaged 25 minutes per game since conference play and continued his usefulness for the “mirror game” against Florida.
Against a team who has averaged 74 points per game in its last three conference games, Williams’ Fightin’ Farmers held the Gators to just 12 points at the end of the first half and controlled the glass with 23 rebounds to their 18. Florida’s 12 first-half points are the fewest by an SEC opponent who has competed against the Aggies since they joined the conference in 2012.
Marble ended the first half as the Aggies’ leading scorer with 12 points on 66% shooting from the field. Dennis led the team with eight rebounds at the end of the first half and added 4 points to the total score.
“I thought we were good as we could possibly be defensively,” Williams said. “We fouled too much. To hold them to two baskets is really good.”
A series of unlucky circumstances occurred for the Aggies to begin the back half of the game.
Coleman started the half the same way he started the game, with a quick foul that brought his total to three, and a ticket for a first-class trip to the bench.
As far as scoring goes, an invisible lid seemed to be put on the rim anytime sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV took a shot. A&M’s leading scorer found himself shooting 1-9 halfway through the half and 2-15 at the end of the game.
The Gators would then go on a 10-2 run early in the half to cut the deficit from 11 to just 4.
In need of a spark, Williams’ called out to the two transfers who’ve made an impact on the game since the tip-off.
And they answered.
After only scoring 4 points in the first half, Dennis went on to score 7 more points and finish the night with 11 points and 16 re-
bounds for his second double-double of the season. The last time an Aggie recorded 16 rebounds was by Savion Flagg in 2018 against Savannah State.
Marble continued his scoring streak and finished the night with a career-high 19 points.
Despite Florida’s multiple attempts to come back, A&M stayed poised and in control and was able to force a bad 3-point attempt by the Gators in the end and secure the victory.
Dennis said he and the team will take in the current win streak, however, will be back on the grind tomorrow.
“It’s fun,” Dennis said. “For us, after the win, you celebrate but then it’s [on] to the next game. It’s short and sweet. It’s a constant grind.”
A&M will travel to Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. in hopes of avenging last season’s home loss against the Kentucky Wildcats while keeping its win streak alive. Its sixth SEC matchup of the season will take place on Jan. 21 at 1 p.m.
simply not the case.
By Hunter Mitchell @HunterM1001It’s hard to replace a legend. Hard might even be an understatement. Learning how to ride a bike is hard, but replacing a Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame coach who led his team to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, five conference championships and a national championship in 2011? Some might say that’s impossible.
What Gary Blair left behind at A&M was a legacy of winning, and that’s why Year 1 of the Joni Taylor era has come under heavy scrutiny. This season’s 5-11 record and winless conference play so far, is seemingly unfamiliar territory for a program so familiar with success. 9-19.
What’s the relevancy of that record? That was Gary Blair’s record in his first year at A&M. This was also his first losing season in his entire
coaching tenure, up to that point. This season will — more likely than not — end with a losing record for women’s basketball, which would give Joni Taylor a losing season on her resume, the first of her head-coaching career.
Joni Taylor, much like Blair, had success before coming to A&M, and is accustomed to winning. The only difference between the two is Blair adopted one of the worst Big 12 teams out there, so if they kept losing, it was no harm, no foul. You can’t get much lower than rock bottom.
Taylor on the other hand adopted a program in a very delicate state, where after years of constant success, cracks were beginning to show, so coming in and mending those cracks was paramount. That mending process, contrary to what many believe, cannot and will not happen in a single season.
College teams are not machines. You cannot have a head coach come in and expect all underlying problems to be immediately fixed.
The issue lies in the fact that colleges, and the alumni who support them, believe success is a sprint. You must succeed as quickly as possible, no matter the circumstances. That is
Success is more of a marathon. It’s slow, it’s building, it may not seem like much progress is being made at first but it’s the gradual buildup of resources that are essential to succeed that leads to teams winning in the long-term.
A coach should not be expected to come into a program in one of the toughest conferences in the country with a single class of players that she has recruited, alongside a roster that — besides graduate guard and forward McKinzie Green and Aaliyah Patty — have very little playing experience and immediately have success.
Joni Taylor will be a successful basketball coach at A&M. She has already proven she can bring in the best, with three top-100 players in last year’s class with guards Sydney Bowles and Mya Petticord, as well as the No. 3 overall recruit in forward Janiah Barker. Pair that with three more top-100 recruits on the way next season, Taylor is setting herself up for success.
It may be frustrating to watch, painful even, but winning coaches do not win because of how winning feels, it is because they hate what it feels like to lose, and Joni Taylor is
one of those coaches. Whatever feelings you may have towards this season, she is feeling tenfold. However, Taylor has shown that she will utilize whatever talent she has to the best of her abilities.
While the winless conference record may hurt to look at, acknowledge the fact that with a roster ravaged by injury, including three of the starting five, Taylor’s team has managed to hold every SEC opponent, so far, under their points per game average. Now imagine what that will look like in three years, three top recruiting classes under her belt, a bench lined with top-100 recruits that she recruited. The signs of success are out there if you know where to look.
Do not abandon ship on A&M women’s basketball. A new captain has to assemble their crew, and once that happens, the ship will be righted. There is no replacing Gary Blair and his legacy, but there is establishing the foundation for a new coach to come in and write her name in the record books at A&M. Taylor will put A&M back on the path of perennial success, just give her time.
Grand slam for women’s team on first day of spring semester
By Kylie Stoner @sportsbystonerAggie women’s tennis won 7-0 twice in double-header matches against the University of Houston and Prairie View A&M at the Mitchell Tennis Center on Jan. 17 at 12 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
“The double headers are always a great way to open up the season and get some of the first match nerves out of the way,” coach Mark Weaver said to 12thMan.com.
The Aggies secured the doubles point against the Cougars after leading at the half point of all three matches.
Graduate students Salma Ewing and Jayci Goldsmith outplayed Houston’s sophomore Elena Trencheva and freshman Sophie Schouten with a final score of 6-3.
Similarly, senior Carson Branstine and freshman Daria Smetannikov defeated their red and white opponents freshman Sonya Kovalenko and junior Laura Slisane with a score of 6-1.
The maroon and white’s Smetannikov took the first singles win of the six matches on Court 4 with double scores of 6-2 over the red and white’s Azul Pedemonti.
A few minutes after the conclusion of Smetannikov’s match, Goldsmith triumphed over the Cougar’s Trencheva on Court 2 with scores of 6-1 and 6-5.
On Court 1, Ewing defeated Maria Dzemeshkevich. The Aggie came away from each
set with a score of 6, and her opponent scored 1 point in the first set and 4 in the second.
In one of the three courts to go to three sets, Court 5 also saw an Aggie victory in Pielet. She beat Houston’s Schouten in the end with final scores of 4-6, 6-3 and 6-2.
Freshman Lizanne Boyer got the fifth singles point for A&M with her win over Kovalenko. The scores of the three sets were 2-6, 6-2 and 6-3.
The final singles match between the newly added freshman Mia Kupres and Slisane ended in scores of 6-0, 6-7 and 1-0 in favor of the Aggies.
“We had some new faces out there today and it was great to see them competing and not just practicing,” Weaver told 12thMan. com.
To start off the match against the Panthers,
Freshman
Esquivel,
same margin of 6-1 and 6-0.
Gownder rallied in a singles match that followed her doubles victory. She won both sets by a score of 6-1. On Court 4, Boyer defended the clean sheet for the maroon and white.
Pielet overcame her opponent 6-3 in both sets, and sealed the deal for the Aggies by earning the seventh and final point
The Aggie women’s tennis team will stay in College Station for another double-header on Friday, Jan. 20. They will take on Tulane at 12 p.m. and Sam Houston at 4:30 p.m. in the Mitchell Tennis Center.
Sports writer Hunter Mitchell says success in athletics isn’t a sprintWomen’s basketball head coach Joni Taylor questions a call during A&M’s game against A&M-Corpus Christi at Reed Arena on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. Luca Yaquinto — THE BATTALION sophomore Kayal Gownder and junior Elise Robbins fortified the Aggies’ doubles point that was initiated by Goldsmith and Ewing. Both doubles teams won 6-1. Avery Kupres and Smetannikov all defeated their opponents by the A Nguyen — THE BATTALION
Media fatigue affects young adults who are particularly tuned into the constant online social media cycle, and it continues to affect their health.
90% of Generation Z, or Gen Z, and Millennials report spending more than two hours a day online, according to a survey by the Media Insight Project. More than half say they spend five hours or more online, while roughly a quarter say they spend over nine hours a day online.
As the world transitioned into the Information Age, the need for accessibility of information has only grown larger and stronger across the world, festering into the modern demand that has led to the exhaustive 24/7 cycle often seen today.
The two generations subjected most to this never-ending cycle are Gen Z and Millenials. Gen Z includes those born between 1997 and 2012, and Millennials are those born between 1981 and 1996, according to an article by the Pew Research Center’s president, Michael Dimock.
Texas A&M director of social media Nick Wilson said part of the reason social media usage has gone up is the abundance of sources of content available to current generations. Wilson attributes the carefully designed algorithms as a reason people are glued to media, with systems designed to keep people scrolling in order to boost the apps’ revenues. Because of this, the apps are constantly pumping new information to consumers in order to keep them hooked.
“Social media never turns off,” Wilson said. “People are always on, posting and engaging with stuff.”
The result, Wilson said, is that it is difficult to keep up. The 24-hour information cycle leads to fatigue and exhaustion as common side effects of media consumption. Roughly twothirds of participants in the survey claim to be worn out by the news and roughly a third say they aren’t happy with the amount of news, according to a study done by the Pew Research Center.
There are many reasons why Gen Z and Millenials are exhausted by the news. Many people consider the media to be divisive. According to a study by the Media Insight Project, 60% of people consider news stories created for conflict and not solutions to be a major problem with media. Similarly, 53% consider made-up news to be a major issue, according to the Media Insight Project.
The divisive content and misinformation weigh heavily on people closely tied to online mediums, like social media. Over 70% of Americans aged 16 to 40 get news from social media platforms at least daily, according to the Media Insight Project; 91% receive their news via social media at least weekly.
A&M engineering professor Alfredo Garcia is currently conducting research on how mental fatigue affects people’s effort allocation, and said media fatigue affects the way people function in day-to-day life.
While a lot of work and focus has been oriented toward physical fatigue and how it drops productivity, fewer studies have focused on mental fatigue, Garcia said. That’s because physical fatigue has a chemical footprint in the body not found with mental fatigue, Garcia explained.
“When you get tired, the muscles start to release certain chemicals, so it’s easy to detect,” Garcia said. “The evidence for mental fatigue is much more nuanced, because the brain is
not like a muscle. It’s a very complex organ.”
Social media’s abundance and consumption have a direct effect on mental fatigue in people, negatively affecting users’ psychosocial well-being, according to a study from the International Journal of Information Management. Despite this, people are still tightly connected to the same social media platforms that cause this fatigue.
Boredom and the innate desire for information inputs are to blame for peoples’ insistent connection to media, Garcia said. Ironically, boredom and information overload also increase susceptibility to social media fatigue, according to a study from the International Journal of Social Psychiatry.
“The brain is tuned to being exposed to surprises; that’s why people like to browse on the web,” Garcia said. “There’s a dopamine-release mechanism, so it seems like our brains are naturally inclined to want to form surprises.”
Despite it being tied to human nature, there are many ways to fight the issue of media fatigue, Brady Stone, a digital producer for the Houston Chronicle, said. With his job requiring him to be tuned in with trends on both social media and traditional media, Stone said he has had to learn to account for online fatigue.
One of the ways is using the algorithms to one’s personal advantage, Stone said. He recommends keeping in touch with the “fun side” of social media, and establishing work-life balance. Other tactics include finding new methods of absorbing media to escape monotony and taking occasional breaks.
With more information available now than ever, and more than any one person could properly consume, Stone said anyone can use the 24-hour nature of media to their advantage.
“Prioritize yourself,” Stone said. “News is always happening, sports is always happening … Log off.”
Jordan Epp, Class of 2022, contributed this piece from the course JOUR490: Journalism as a Profession, and is a former sports editor of The Battalion.
over the world,” Ager said. “I talked to a lady from South Africa who is working in Qatar as a physical therapist.”
Overall, Ager said travel abroad is a rewarding and enriching experience for students who are able to go.
“I think it definitely made me more globally aware,” Ager said. “Study abroad if you can. I’ve been on two and they’ve been life changing.”
Communication senior Paulina Adam said she hopes to continue working with international event planning in the future, which is why she was excited to join the program.
“It was so perfect that the classes for [the travel abroad] were so tied with event planning, which is what I want to
do for my career,” Adam said. Work shifts at the World Cup would start in the afternoons and end deep into the night, sometimes at 2 a.m., but Adam said the experience was worth it.
“It was pretty much nonstop since the first day that we got there,” Adam said. “But it was amazing. I wouldn’t have had any other way, because I can sleep when I’m home.” Adam said she learned many different tips and tricks during her conversations with FIFA staff, including how they bring police officers from different countries to help with cultural differences.
“I learned a lot about managing events, which is amazing, and I will definitely apply that to my future career with international sporting events,” Adam said.
Kyle McClenagan Managing Editor
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Research suggests that increased time online is detrimental to mental healthIshika Samant— THE BATTALION