The Battalion — October 20, 2022 Election Guide

The Battalion

Prepare for the polls

Essential things to know for firsttime voters before casting a ballot

By Kenzie Finch @KenzieFinch6

First-time voters may not know what to expect on the day they line up at the doors, eager to cast their rst votes, but there are several major things a student should be aware of before voting for the rst time.

In-person early voting begins Oct. 24. Mailin voting ends on Oct. 28. Voters must have a valid Texas ID on the day of the election. The ballot will include local candidates from the voters’ county and state o cials running for o ce.

Registration To check registration status, students can visit the Texas Secretary of State website at VoteTexas.gov.

Brazos County Elections Administrator Trudy Hancock said in an email to The Battalion the most common mistake students make is not being registered in the right county.

“If they are still registered at home they need to request a ballot by mail from the county of registration,” the email said.

If a student recently moved to Brazos County

and hasn’t transferred over their voting registration, they are still eligible to vote in the county. They can do this during early voting at the Brazos County Elections Administration o ce at 300 E William J. Bryan Parkway, Suite 100 in Bryan.

“This is called a Limited Ballot,” Hancock said in the email. “If registered in Texas and have a local address, you can vote on races that Brazos County has in common with the county of registration. If you vote [on] a Limited Ballot it moves your registration to Brazos County.”

Chemistry freshman Samuel Williams said this upcoming election will be his rst time voting. Williams said he is excited to nally be able to vote after watching his friends vote in previous elections.

“I actually had a friend ask me if I was registered to vote … He was like ‘you can do it through Snapchat,’” Williams said. “It was pretty easy to set up.”

Williams said he plans to go back to San Antonio to vote in person, where his parents will vote with him.

Voting Locations

Early voting: Brazos County Election Administrator O ce, Arena Hall, Galilee Baptist Church, College Station Utilities Meeting & Training Facility and College Station City Hall Election Day: Memorial Student Center, or MSC, College Station City Hall, etc. For more voting locations go to Brazosvote.org

Forms of Valid IDs

Hancock said rst-time voters need to have a valid Texas ID. If they do not have a Texas ID, they can use their out-of-state driver’s license, but will have to sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

Valid IDs include: Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety, or DPS Texas Election Identi cation Certi cate issued by DPS Texas Personal Identi cation Card issued by DPS Texas Handgun License issued by DPS United States Military Identi cation Card containing the person’s photograph United States Citizenship Certi cate containing the person’s photograph United States Passport (book or card)

The acceptable form of photo identi cation may be expired no more than four years before being presented for voter quali cation at the polling place.

If a voter cannot present or reasonably obtain a form of acceptable ID, they can ll out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls and provide supporting documentation. More information can be found at VoteTexas. gov website.

Voters can check what their county ballot will look like by going to Ballotready.org

Local elections & jurisdictions: Explained

Races in Brazos County and BCS have never been more important

By Jack Lee @JackTheBatt

This year’s local elections will place decisions such as the future of the Northgate District, implementation of rental property inspections and future city construction projects in the hands of voters. Local elections have the most direct impact on the communities in which they take

place, but young people such as students are much less likely to vote in them.

According to the National Civic League, the median age of local election voters tends to be in the 60s, and voters over 65 are over seven times more likely to vote in local elections than voters aged 18-34. A focus group organized by the Knight Foundation suggested that a likely reason for the low turnout of young voters is confusion and lack of knowledge of local issues and the capacity of local o cials to execute them.

The local government in the Bryan-College Station area is split into three independent tiers:

county government, city council and school board, Dwight Roblyer, Ph.D., senior lecturer of political science at Texas A&M said.

“There’s multiple layers of local government that all overlap,” Roblyer said. “The highest level is county government.”

Roblyer said the county government consists of elected commissioners that, working together, have legislative, judicial and executive authorities. The county government collects taxes, oversees voting, hears judicial cases and more. Due to their large scope of authorities, county o cials are considered partisan o cials in Texas and will have a political party listed next to

By Kenzie Allen @kenzieranae

Race for the Governor’s Mansion

By Kyle McClenagan @KMcclenagan

Beto O’Rourke

Greg Abbott

Gun control:

During his Sept. 28 visit to Texas A&M, O’Rourke said, as governor, he would focus on the safety of school children and civilians, rather than maintaining the support of gun lobbyists like the National Ri e Association, or NRA.

“I nd some things that we can do, some progress we can make … Things like ensuring that Abbott should raise the age of purchasing AR-15s to 21,” O’Rourke said. “For universal background checks, I have yet to meet [a person] who will argue with me on this right now, when you buy from a federally licensed gun dealer.”

O’Rourke did not go as far as he did during the 2020 presidential debates and said he could nd a balance between the Second Amendment and gun regulation.

“We can both defend the Second Amendment and do a far better job of protecting the lives of those in our communities,” O’Rourke said.

Immigration:

During the Sept. 30 debate, O’Rourke said in order to control the in ux of migrants at the Texas-Mexico border, the state needs to create new laws to allow a clear path to citizenship.

“What we need is a safe, legal, orderly path for anyone who wants to come here to work, to join family or to seek asylum,” O’Rourke said. “I’m going to work with local leaders, Republicans and Democrats alike, to make sure that we have a Texas-based guest worker program to alleviate shortages that we have in our state for labor demands.”

In regard to Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, O’Rourke said Abbott’s administration has spent billions that could have otherwise been used for more productive solutions.

“We are eight years into [Abbott’s] time as governor, and this is what we have on our border,” O’Rourke said. “Four billion into Operation Lone Star, we’re seeing not fewer but more encounters at our border.”

Healthcare:

O’Rourke said during the September debate that Texas needs to do more when it comes to funding mental health care.

“We are dead last in the nation when it comes to mental health care access and [Abbott] took $211 million from the mental health care budget of the state of Texas,” O’Rourke said.

When it comes to women’s health care in Texas, O’Rourke said that as governor he would make sure that women’s access to abortion would become law.

“I will work with the legislature and my fellow Texans to return us to the standard that Texas women won in the rst place,” O’Rourke said during the debate. “Roe v. Wade. That’s the standard that answers your question.”

Education:

On the issue of state education, O’Rourke made it clear that he would work to eliminate state-level standardized testing and increase teachers’ pay.

“Our teachers are underpaid on average by $7,500 a year,” O’Rourke said. “I’m going to ensure that you have more valuable classroom time to connect with those kids. So, we’re going to stop the [State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness] Test and allow you to focus on drawing forth that lifelong love of learning.”

Gun control: Throughout his campaign, Abbott has continued to harp on O’Rourke’s comment during the 2020 presidential debate in which O’Rourke said, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.”

“He wants to go take your guns and deny you your Second Amendment rights,” Abbott said in a pre-recorded message played in the introduction of the debate. “We will not let that happen.”

Abbott also said he would not raise the age to buy an assault ri e in Texas because of a recent court decision.

“The most recent federal court of appeals decision on this particular issue said that it was unconstitutional for a state to raise the age from 18 to 21,” Abbott said during the debate.

Immigration: Abbott’s stance on immigration blames the administration of President Joe Biden for the increase of migrants at the Texas-Mexico border.

“We’ve been working to respond to the disaster caused by the Biden administration that has caused such an economic burden on these communities,” Abbott said during the televised debate. “Under the Biden administration, we have more people coming across the border than ever in the history of our country.”

Abbott said his solution to this has been to send in the National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety along with moving immigrants to “sanctuary cities.”

“What we’re doing is making sure that we are keeping our community safe, and this is completely di erent than the way things would be under Beto [O’Rourke],” Abbott said.

Healthcare: While Abbott has historically not supported abortion, during the debate he did say that emergency contraception, like Plan-B, should be provided by the State of Texas to women who become pregnant due to rape or incest.

“It’s incumbent upon the State of Texas to make sure that [emergency contraceptives] are readily available for those who are victims of sexual assault or survivors of sexual assault,” Abbott said. “The State of Texas pays for that.”

However, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the O ce of the Texas Governor released a statement in favor of the court’s decision.

“Texas is a pro-life state, and we have taken signi cant action to protect the sanctity of life,” the quote from Abbott reads.

Education:

On the issue of education, Abbott said he has provided more educational funding than any Texas governor in history.

“I provided more funding for teacher pay raises than any governor in Texas history,” Abbott said at the debate. “The per pupil funding in the State of Texas is at the highest that’s ever been.”

As an example of this, Abbott said he created a new program that provides outstanding teachers with a salary of more than $100,000 in speci c areas.

“It was used very e ectively and broadly in the Dallas Independent School District area and is catching on around the state,” Abbott said. “If teachers will dedicate themselves to be these master teachers, they will be able to earn a six- gure salary.”

Texas has never had a CPA as its state accountant.

J A N E T W I L L H O L D T H E M A C C O U N T A B L E

Fix the damn grid and fix it smart Capture methane it's fuel!

Expand LMedicaid egalize it

Photo courtesty of Gage Skidmoere

Photo courtesty of Gage Skidmoere

A tale of two Texases:

After the Brazos Valley Commissioners Court approved new districts in the fall of 2021, voters should be aware of their own districts as they prepare to vote.

Redistricting occurs in Texas every 10 years after the U.S. census is released. After the 2020 Census showed a growth of over 17%, the commissioners court worked on re districting the four county precincts, and the new districts will go into effect Jan. 1, 2023.

They began the pro cess in Sep tember of 2021 by creating an order for adoption criteria and then listening to community feedback before approving Illustra tive Plan 2 in a 3-2 vote.

“Of the people that I have talked to, I’m hearing the same thing, which is, ‘please get this equally balanced in terms of numbers of voters,’” precinct chair Ray Meador said at an Oct. 27 meeting.

The first part of the process was an order that resolved to follow easily identifiable geographic boundaries, avoid splitting neighborhoods, avoid racial gerrymandering and not fragment a geographically compact minority commu nity or discriminate against racial groups. The order also said that each precinct could not have a population devi ation greater than 10% from the “ideal precinct size.” The “ideal precinct size” contains exactly a quarter of the pop ulation.

This order works as an effort to prevent gerrymander ing, which occurs when district boundaries are manip ulated to favor one political party or social class. While there are no laws against political gerrymandering, the Voter Rights Act of 1965 prohibits racial discrimination in voting practices, such as racial gerrymandering.

“My concern is that as you draw these lines, they’re

drawn fairly,” Precinct 4 Com missioner Dem ocratic candidate Wanda Watson said at an Oct. 27 meet ing.“As we’ve seen on a state and national level, the communities of color seem to be disenfranchised.

How gerrymandering affects the political process in Texas

By Amanda Hare @AmandaHare_11

I ask that you be fair to communities of color. It is ever so important that they have fair representation. I understand about roadways and creeks, but you have to understand the human impact you can have if you don’t take this

into consideration.”

Biology senior Kristina Samuel founded the College Station chapter of Mobilize, Organize,Vote and Empow er, or MOVE, Texas in 2020 and currently serves as the chapter’s president. Samuel said it’s important to check what district one is located in to make sure they’re registered and planning to vote in the correct place.

“[Gerry mandering] is a tactic to confuse and in timidate people who want to be more civi cally engaged,” Samuel said.

“Also, it dilutes the voice of the ev er-emerg ing diverse population in Texas. ‘Pack ing and cracking’ is a term used for splitting up college districts because there’s a lot of one demographic in one place.”

In February of 2021, Samuel testified in front of the Texas Senate about gerrymander ing, requesting that the new lines would truly be representative of the population. She said students should be aware of their voice and opportunities to communicate to elected officials.

“You can testify in any kind of capacity, wheth er it be state government, county government, City Hall, you can engage with every single level of the process,” Samuel said. “You have a voice and you can use it, and especially since they don’t hear from us directly speaking to them a lot has a lot of power, and they will listen.”

College Station Voting Guide

Know who you’re voting for before you go

Mayoral Candidates

Rick Robinson

is a former Federal Bureau of Pris ons supervisor and military po liceman. He supports a heightened police presence on Northgate and more buses and bus stops for stu dents. He believes that College Sta tion can become a tech hub in the future rather than having a service and restaurant-oriented economy.

City COuncil Place 1

John Nichols

is a current College Station city council member since 2012 and an active community member. He supports a heightened police pres ence on Northgate. As a council member, he served on the trans portation committee and believes in solving the bus issues by sending more funds towards the bus system.

is the youngest mayoral candidate at 24. He supports efforts to in crease the walkability of College Station and believes the city gov ernment should prioritize K-12 education more heavily. He sup ports reevaluating the city’s infra structure to avoid damage from natural disasters.

City COuncil Place 2

Mark Smith Aron Collins has worked as the city of College Station’s public works director for 16 years. He believes College Station is an education-oriented commu nity with Texas A&M students at the forefront and supports making efforts to retain A&M graduates in the city.

is a local business owner. He supports efforts to improve in frastructure to attract and re tain College Station residents. He supports a rental inspec tion program and believes the city should partner with third parties to outsource inspectors for such a program.

is a local entrepreneur. He believes the top priority of local government should be to ensure public safety and supports effective community policing. He does not believe closing bars earlier in North gate is necessary.

City COuncil Place 5

is a local business manager on the city planning and zon ing commission. He supports more housing options and more types of businesses in the city as well as more en try-level jobs for residents. He does not support closing bars earlier.

is a self-employed graphic designer. She supports invest ing in an alternative enter tainment venue to Northgate with options besides bars but is open to increased police presence in Northgate as a possible resolution to safety concerns.

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS

their name on the ballot. While their scope and priorities are more local, county officials often have ideals and goals similar to their counterparts in state and national offices.

Within the county government, a court of elected county commissioners, headed by the county judge, acts as the main pol icy making power. In practice, the county judge acts as the executive authority in a county.

“In Texas, each county is run by what’s called the commissioners court, which is a group of elected officials and so here in Brazos County, we have four coun ty precincts,” Roblyer said. “There’s an elected county commissioner for each one of those four precincts, and then also the commissioners court in Texas is headed by the county judge, who is elected to the bench that they sit in … While there is no president or mayor of our county, the county judge on that commissioners court is the one who performs the executive functions.”

is a retired judge and colonel. He supports improving the city infrastructure and creating new jobs. He believes Northgate is a vital part of the community and supports funding to address traffic and transportation issues while maintaining police pres ence to ensure safety.

is a former city public infor mation officer and Air Force veteran. He supports a new “Gig’em” city district with entertainment options besides partying and drinking and supports further developing the RELLIS and airport areas.

By Jack Lee, Ana Renfroe, John Chapa, Emma Lawson @JackTheBatt, @aeoenia1, @JDChapaBatt, @ELawsonAtTheBat

The clerk, treasurer and justice of the peace have specialized powers, such as ain taining records, setting budgets and hearing small civil disputes, respectively. These specialized positions do not report to the commissioners court or the county judge, but they work independently within their own jurisdiction.

“There’s other elected officials at the county, like district clerk, the county clerk, the county tax assessor and the sheriff,” Roblyer said. “Most of them do not report to the county commissioners court. They report directly to the voters because the voters are the ones that elected them, so they need to find some way to work [with the commissioners court] or the county’s gonna have trouble.”

The city government, Roblyer said, oversees the operations of the city. The municipal government is responsible for utilities such as water and sewage as well as maintaining and constructing build ings, roads, lights, parks and other facilities within the city.

Bryan-College Station has a form of city government known as the council-manag er system. In this system, the elected coun cil members are responsible for passing city ordinances and establishing policy.

However, the council members hire a city manager to execute the established policies and oversee all administrative op erations. While the mayor is the symbolic head of local government, they function as a member of the council with no addi tional powers.

While separated from the rest of the city government, the school district follows a similar structure, with elected board mem bers setting policy and the hired superin tendent holding administrative power.

“The mayor basically functions as a member of the council,” Roblyer said. “They have some executive functions that they do, but they do not have a veto. They do not have the ability to be able to control the budget or anything else, any more than just a single member of the city council could. The person who

usually runs cities such as Bryan or College Station, because we have what’s called a council manager form of government, is the city manager. The council makes all the policy decisions, but the day to day admin istration of the city is done by somebody they hired, the city manager. In the same way, a school board will hire a superinten dent to deal with all of the daily things as well.”

In comparison to county government, city government has the more specialized task of meeting the daily needs of citizens, and in Texas they must run as non-partisan candidates. On the ballot, party identifi ers will not appear next to their names, and voters must make judgements based on their stance on important community issues.

In a local candidate form held by A&M’s student government association on Oct. 12, hot topics among local candidates in cluded how to increase safety in Northgate and whether a rental inspection program should be implemented, among others.

Jacob Randolph

David Levine

William Wright

Willie Blackmon

Bob YancyNicole Galluci

Why students are voting for Beto/Abbott

Students explain the qualities that make O’Rourke the best choice for governor

By Kathryn Miller @KathrynMiller0

With the Texas guberna torial election approaching on Nov. 8, students gathered on Texas A&M’s campus for democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke’s rally to hear him speak about his goals and future policies for Texas before the polls open.

With an introduction from his campaign’s student fellows, O’Rourke spoke at Rudder Theatre on Wednes day, Sept. 28 at 10:30 a.m. O’Rourke primarily touched on his goals for his potential time in office as governor and his aspira tions for the future of Texas, including abortion access, gun control, payment for educators, the Texas power grid, Medicaid expansion, veteran care and treatment and marijuana legalization.

“Future generations are going to be looking back on those of us here alive today, the people of 2022, to see how we acquitted ourselves at this moment,” O’Rourke said during his introduction.

“Everything that we care about is on the line and will be decided in a matter of about 40 days on the eighth of November.”

Business freshman Gabriel Rodman said he found out about the rally through Beto for Texas representatives at the Memorial Student Center, who advised him to change his voting zip code to College Station for the upcoming election.

“They said that he was coming to campus, and I already knew I was going to vote for him,” Rodman said. “I came to the rally to see more of what he is about.”

O’Rourke’s policies on small businesses and gun control are what initially drew him to O’Rourke as a gubernatorial candidate, Rodman said. Rodman said he attended the on-campus rally to learn more about the democratic nominee as a person separate from his candidacy.

“I want to see more of his personality and learn about the humanity side of him rather than the politician side of him,” Rodman said.

Business graduate student Sonnie Acosta, a student fellow for Beto’s campaign, said as someone from El Paso, she has seen Beto’s message spread since 2018.

“It’s been awesome to see that first hand,” Acosta said. “Seeing him advocate for wom en getting autonomy over their own body to protecting our kids in school, all of that has such important moral value to me. That’s why I believe Beto is the best for Texas and why I am going to continue to support him.”

Acosta said it is inspiring to see so many students take the time to attend the rally for the democratic nominee.

“It’s us young people who are really going to make a difference and make a change — especially when it comes to electing Beto as a state governor,” Acosta said.

Psychology junior Ariana Lozano said she attended the rally because she aligns with many of the same values as Beto, particularly reducing gun violence and raising wages for Texas educators.

“Abbott hasn’t done anything to protect the citizens of Texas,” Lozano said. “I see a lot more advocacy and care in Beto.”

Neuroscience senior Anahid Akbaryan said she has been watching Beto since his initial Texas governor candidacy in 2018.

“I’ve been with him since he ran for senator against Ted Cruz when I was in high school, so he’s always been on my watchlist,” Akbaryan said. “Now that he’s running for governor, I have been campaigning, encouraging all my friends to come to this rally.”

Akbaryan said unlike Abbott, Beto is with the people.

“Abbott relies on hearsay and word of mouth of small town citizens, and he never actually goes into the public and gets to know his constituents,” Akbaryan said.

The 750-person capacity of Rudder Theatre was reached by students before the rally’s 10:30 a.m. start time. Event organizers announced shortly before O’Rourke came on stage that 500 students were still waiting outside Rudder Theatre for admittance to the event even after capacity was reached.

English senior Rowan Garcia and biomedical sciences freshman Emily Klinkerman were waiting in line to see O’Rourke even after the conclusion of his speech, to get into Rudder Theatre.

To accommodate for the amount of students who showed up for O’Rourke’s rally, Garcia and Klinkerman said the university should have given him a larger venue.

“It shows a political bias,” Klinkerman said. “If they gave him a bigger venue like Reed Arena, it would have been better. I don’t think they expected so many people to show up.”

Garcia said particularly with Generation Z, there is a greater opportunity for O’Ro urke coming to speak at universities like A&M and other institutions in Texas.

“Beto is the change and the compromise that we need, especially with long-term republican voters who may be hesitant to vote for a democrat,” Garcia said. “A lot of us are very politically conscious and we care. Growing up with the internet, we are more in formed than previous generations. Him coming to speak at colleges shows that he knows who his audience is.Young people are more open-minded.”

Students explain the qualities that should keep Abbott in the governor’s office

By John Chapa @JDChapaBatt

Texas A&M students list why they are voting for incumbent Greg Abbott for Texas governor over former Democratic representative Beto O’Rourke in the upcoming gubernatorial election. Abbott is running on the platform of securing the border, and securing the future for Texas taxpayers, seniors and parents per his website.

Political science senior Blake Martin said he favors Abbott because of their shared values and Abbott’s previous experience in office as attorney gener al before serving as state governor.

“He is somebody who cares about the issues I care about,” Martin said. “In regards to abortion, he is Catholic and very pro-life. He has signed bills into law previously before Roe v. Wade was overturned. He signed the ‘heartbeat bill’ into law. That is some thing I very much sup port. Everything, with the exception of the life of the mother coming into consideration, I think we should ban abortions.”

Public health senior Greg Salazar said the most important voting issues to him in this upcoming election are abortion, immigration and education. Like Martin, Salazar said he also held values similar to Abbott’s policies as current Texas governor.

“I was a big proponent of the ‘heartbeat bill.’” Salazar said. “[Abbott] has another response to the lack of government oversight over the border, Operation Lone Star, basi cally sending resources to the border.”

Accounting sophomore Jacob Brewer said he will also vote for Abbott on Election Day because of the actions he has taken as Texas governor.

“It’s Greg Abbott versus Beto O’Rourke,” Brewer said. “I think about what’s going on at the southern border with the record [number] of crossings. Greg Abbott has already raised awareness toward the issue and is doing something about it.”

All three Aggies also brought up rising inflation and the resulting blow to the U.S. economy. Martin said inflation is a prevalent voting issue that hurts college students.

“Inflation is rising, which is going to hurt you coming out of college, and already does hurt you as a college student,” Martin said. “That is primarily driven by people similar to Beto O’Rourke, who have pushed for those same policies we see on the federal level by Democrats like printing off more money and raising taxes. If the Democrats were to take power in Texas, like [candidate] O’Rourke, you’d see a state income tax being pushed, which we don’t currently have in Texas.”

It is no coincidence that Americans are starting to move to Texas, Brewer said.

“There’s got to be a reason that all the people from California are moving to Texas un der the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott,” Brewer said. “It’s because the economy in Texas is doing a lot better than other places.”

The Abbott-supporting Aggies said they recognize that many college students will be voting for the first time. Salazar said he wanted students to recognize a few things before choosing who to vote for.

“First, before you look at the world and the news coming at your face, because it comes really quick, what are your values?” Salazar said. “What are your beliefs? And apply those values to the candidates. Don’t get your news from one source. People look at Twit ter all the time, and that’s really headline news, what is going to get more clicks and spark an emotional reaction?”

Martin said he advises those who are undecided about their political position to think about their future safety, as well as their family’s safety, when assessing the governor candi dates.

“It’s important not to look for just the future of yourself, but your family [as well],” Martin said. “You want to grow up in a state where, no matter what race you are or ideol ogy you have, is a safe society.You want to have a society where you and your family can live in peace.You deserve that.You need to ask these candidates, ‘Where is your record on these issues?’ and, ‘How would you run the state?’”

Texas hasn’t had a Democratic governor since Anne Richards over 25 years ago. Martin said the growing trend of Latinos voting for Republican nominees will keep Texas red.

“I feel like the shift among Latino voters in South Texas has shown a trend to conserva tive values,” Martin said. “A lot of Latino voters are mostly Catholic and care about family issues like abortion and gun rights. I think as long as that shift continues to happen, Texas remains a red state.”

The gubernatorial election will begin Oct. 24, with the last day to vote on Nov. 8. As of Oct. 12, Abbott currently holds a four-point lead over O’Rourke among registered voters, according to Marist Poll.

Expected early voting bus schedule:

Oct. 24-28: 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 30: 12-4:30 p.m.

Oct. 31 to Nov. 4: 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

By Caroline Wilburn & Kyle McClenagan @carolinewilb & @KMcclenagan

The initial decision to exclude the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, as an early voting location for the November 2022 election was decided by the Brazos County Commissioners Court — followed by four months of delays, deliberation and discomfort. The MSC, part of Precinct 3, will be replaced by the College Station City Hall located across Texas Avenue from Texas A&M’s campus.

June 28 — Commissioner Court delays location approval

The commissioners court decided to table the approval of all early voting loca tions and hours for the November election after a nearly hour-long debate.

The MSC soon became a topic of dis cussion as both the Republican and Dem ocratic county chairs addressed the court.

The Brazos County chair for the Dem ocratic Party, Amy Alge, said she was con cerned the MSC had not returned as an early voting location in the proposed plan.

“I hope that early voting access giv en in the Novembers of 2016, 2018 and 2020 continues in 2022 and that the MSC polling place situates the ballot box within arm’s reach of about 70,000 Brazos Coun ty residents,” Alge said.

Republican County Chair Elianor Ves sali, also spoke to the court in agreement with Alge’s concerns.

“I think that the MSC is an important location, especially if you’re going to talk about data and the amount of people that have access to that center,”Vessali said.

July 5 — Initial vote to ex clude MSC

On July 5, the commissioners court approved the previous week’s proposed early voting locations for the November elections.

The proposal remained almost entirely unchanged from the previous week except for the requirement that early voting loca tions be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the first week of early voting. Ford was the only commissioner not to vote in favor of the proposed locations after an amend ment of his own failed to be added to the proposal.

Ford’s proposed amendment would have added the MSC, Castle Heights Church, Zion Church and Wellborn Community Center as additional early polling locations. This amendment failed to pass due to con cerns over the logistical cost raised by local voting officials.

A&M student senator Ariana Marin was at the meeting and addressed the court on behalf of students in support of keeping the MSC as an early voting location, since many students were away for Fourth of July celebrations.

“Moving the voting from the MSC would disenfranchise a lot of voters,” Marin said. “Some students who live on

campus aren’t from anywhere near here, so they don’t have the ability to drive six-plus hours to go back home to vote.”

Aug. 30 — Students speak up

Several A&M students attended the Aug. 30 commissioners court meeting to urge the court to overturn its July decision and reinstate the MSC as an early voting location.

Biology senior Kristina Samuel was one of seven students to speak to the commis sioners court during the public comment period of the Aug. 30 meeting to advocate for the MSC early voting location.

“In 2020, 80% of Brazos County voted early. Students in particular enjoy early voting since we’re able to vote in between classes with much shorter lines,” Samuel said. “It’s all about numbers. We’re trying to get as large of a group as possible to show up so that they can see that this is something that students are very passionate about.”

Sept. 13 — Chaos in the court

According to the meeting minutes, commissioners court was canceled at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13, due to a lack of quorum physically present in the commis sioners courtroom.

Ford initially requested an item regard ing the reinstatement of the MSC as an early voting location beginning in 2023 be added to the agenda after receiving an email from Texas Rising Central Texas Campus Organizer Maggie Di Sanza. However, without quorum, the item was not discussed.

Students from Mobilize, Organize,Vote and Empower, or MOVE, who gathered to speak to the court were left feeling frustrated when they were unable to speak, Samuel said.

In an interview with The Battalion, Ford said he chose not to attend the meeting due to an ongoing issue with the proposed tax rate in Brazos County — a proposal which could not be passed if he was absent.

After speaking with her at the meet ing, psychology junior and MOVE Civics Engagement Director Sabrina Wren said Berry considered going back on her initial vote on not including the MSC. Howev er, Precinct 4 commissioner Irma Cauley stayed devoted to her initial decision, citing it would be unfair to the “real residents of Bryan-College Station,” according to Wren.

Sept. 20 — MSC considered for 2023 elections

The commissioners court met on Sept. 20 to consider the MSC’s return as an early voting location in 2023.

The court heard from multiple mem bers of the community during the call for

citizen input. After seven citizens came for ward to show their support for the MSC, the remaining speakers discussed concerns over the MSC during agenda item No. 8.

During the discussion of agenda item No. 8, several community members discussed their wish to have the MSC reinstated as an early voting location in November 2022.

According to the official meeting minutes, County Clerk Karen McQueen said it would be an issue to redo the military ballots due to upcoming dead lines. Elections Coordinator Krystal Ocon agreed with McQueen and stated it was not possible to change the locations for the November 2022 election.

Berry expressed regret over the decision to remove the MSC as an early voting lo cation, but said it was too late to make any changes for the November 2022 election. However, she spoke in favor of reinstating the MSC in 2023.

No action was taken.

Sept. 27 — Court finalizes decision

The final decision to not restore the MSC as an early polling location for November 2022 was made at the Sept. 27 commissioners court meeting. Aldrich had previously requested the reinstatement of the MSC for November 2022 be added to the agenda, according to the official minutes recap.

Due to the absence of Aldrich, Peters suggested removing the item from the agenda, as he felt the issue was not prudent. Berry requested the present city secretaries give commentary before the court took any action.

College Station City Secretary Tonya Smith said the entities involved in the elec tion had to move forward with the court’s original decision.

“This late in the game, adding an addi tional location, not only will it be a rush, but we’ll also have to go back to our coun cils and, or our boards to amend our orders calling the elections,” Smith said.

Smith cited multiple logistical issues preventing the MSC from being reinstated as an early voting location this year.

“You must re-test the election equip ment, all before Oct. 24, when early voting starts,” Smith said. “Rushing causes mistakes — mistakes in elections are det rimental. Then there is the cost of adding another polling location, that most of us did not budget for.”

Cauley and Berry expressed interest in the reinstatement of the MSC as an early polling location in 2023 rather than reinstating it for November 2022. Cauley made a motion to take no action on the item of reinstatement for 2022, which was seconded by Berry. The court voted unani mously to take no action.

Berry confirmed in an interview with The Battalion the issue would not return to the agenda before November.

“I think it’s off the agenda for this elec tion cycle,” Berry said.

Oct. 11 — Court partially funds transportation

Peters, Berry and Cauley voted in favor of the measure which will provide trans portation from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4. Aldrich and Ford were not present at the meeting due to an ongoing dispute over a tax rate decision which could only be passed with four members present.

Business senior Ishika Shah spoke to the commissioners court before the vote and said, while she appreciated the court’s reimbursement, she and the students of A&M would benefit from more early voting transportation funding to accom modate class schedules.

“From my understanding, the county is currently planning to fund 36 hours in early voting transportation,” Shah said. “We calculated that we would require buses for a longer period of time … The shuttle buses are not only for the voters that do not have vehicles, but also in the best inter est of city traffic.”

Shah recommended the court provide $15,303.50 in funds so the buses can operate for an estimated 115 hours instead of just 36.

No amendment to the $5,000 reim bursement was made and the agenda item passed with a unanimous vote by the present members of the court.

Oct. 24 to Nov. 4 — Total funding achieved

With the help of several groups from around the state, Aggie Spirit buses will transport students from campus to city hall throughout the duration of early voting. According to Texas A&M Today, the buses are expected to make three rounds per hour — roughly every 20 minutes — between city hall and a stop on Lubbock Street in front of the Corps of Cadets Quad, near The Commons residence halls. The buses are funded in part by Mothers Against Greg Abbott State PAC, or MAGA.

MAGA founder Nancy Thompson said it was clear to the organizers action needed to be taken after the MSC was removed as an early voting location.

“We didn’t know first who to talk to and where to go and all of those things, so we had to do a little bit of research, as an organization, to figure out what all the rules are around taking students to the polls,” Thompson said. “One of the first things we did was that we reached out to the Texas Democratic Party and we talked to their lawyers to see what we were able to do legally with the new voting laws.”

The complete list of donors includes Voters of Tomorrow, A&M Transportation, an A&M professor and the A&M chapter MOVE.

Editorial: Vote with vengeance

By Editorial Board @thebattonline

Voting is the beating heart of any de mocracy. It is the essential element which rhythmically powers and renews a govern ment made by the people, for the people. However, the heartbeat of the U.S. often appears less like a strong, healthy pulse and more like a measly, inconsistent tick.

While the factors contributing to comparatively low voter engagement are undeniably complex and multifaceted, one constituency stands out; young, voting-age citizens, who historically trail other age demographics in voter turnout.

In order to reaffirm our shared values and commitment to democracy, especially in a time when faith in our voting systems is in peril, it becomes imperative for this to change. Increasing voter turnout among young adults is more than representing their proportional share but also building a habit of civic engagement which will fol low them throughout their lifetime. Voting must be accessible and readily available to everyone, but to young people especially.

Unfortunately, the Brazos County Commissioners Court did not see the issue this way.

During the summer, the court did not include the Memorial Student Center,

or MSC, as an early-voting location. A walkable, centrally located and long-stand ing location, removed with little reasoning given, inevitably inhibiting poll access for many students and first-time voters, par ticularly those without forms of personal transportation.

“I heard from more residents and only two students who spoke up on behalf of the MSC, and because of the number of voters who traditionally vote [in] College Station as opposed to the numbers who voted [at] the MSC, it was an easy choice for me to make,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Nancy Berry said.

In a county of approximately 237,000 residents, per the 2020 census, a student body of over 70,000 students enrolled at Texas A&M College Station, plus 7,000 staff and 4,000 faculty members, makes for a large portion of the population. Which makes it all the more perplexing the court did not proactively seek or consult students when making a decision directly related to their own campus. Furthermore, students were not active in the court because they were on summer break, a fact to which many commissioners seemed bafflingly oblivious or unsympathetic.

For students with demanding class schedules, professors completing important research or staff with long shifts and short

breaks, making a trip off-campus, through some of the Brazos County’s busiest inter sections, to a facility with less parking is unreasonable and unrealistic. Though the Election Day voting site did not change, Nov. 8 wait times in the MSC are histori cally hours long — hours that much of our campus community cannot afford to spend.

The behavior of the Commissioners Court fails to uphold the accessibility of the polls that is integral for younger generations, but it also is emblematic of a deep, shameful disconnect with one of Brazos County’s largest constituencies. Not consulting them prior to the decision is, by definition, a failure of an elected represen tative.

Every election season you will inevitably be bombarded by wholesome, albeit an noying, voting initiatives, encouraging you to turn up to the polls. Today, we offer you a less conventional incentive to vote: spite.

If your elected representatives are not going to defer to your voices on the issues that matter to you, you might as well vote them out. Replace them. Representatives only represent once elected by the people they devote their time and willingness to. If their performance is unsatisfactory, they can be easily replaced by a competent per son who will follow their work as a public servant.

Such a reason is why the action of vot ing exists. Societal problems are inevitable, especially in an ever-growing society. The present- day civilian, with the best of their judgment, has the privilege of exercising their power to mold the society to best fit their perspective. w

The concept of having the commu nal power of election is hard to wrap our heads around, perhaps due to our trailing youth marking as an indicator of half-finished maturity, and the perpetual generational gap war that bashes the newly emerging inheritors of society. Do not be discouraged;, your voice matters.

Our youth is the essential power in our votes now and in the future. Directly voting now lets us see the results of our contributions. What succeeds and falls short after elections lets us gather infor mation for the next time period of voting, allowing us to decide what stays and what gets replaced. With our youth, we get to do this for the next five years, 10 years, 25 years and perhaps even 50 years.

Now is the perfect time to pursue actions that allow us to represent our communities and gather knowledge for the voting years to come.

After months of confusion surrounding early voting locations, local voting accessibility has come under question

It’s like uber, but for longer distances.

Tame the Gamecocks

We need to look forward to that today. I’m anxious [to] see how we come back out there today.”

By Zoe May @MayZoella

In its second battle of the maroon this season, Texas A&M is set to take on South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 22 in Columbia, S.C. Both teams are coming off a bye week following a high-stakes game in Week 6 with the Aggies facing then-No. 1, now-No. 6 Alabama and falling just short and the Gamecocks toppling then-No. 13, now-No. 19 Kentucky. The Saturday contest will test how a bye week affects a team’s momentum heading into the back half of the season.

“You go back to fundamentals,” A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said about the bye week. “The reasons of the things you did wrong, the things you did right, are fundamentals. We had good, spirited practices and executed well.

Morale for South Carolina will remain high as the town will also be hosting its State Fair; so while the stadium will be filled with maroon and white, expect a large majority to be rooting for the Gamecocks. Sitting 4-2 overall and 1-2 in conference, the Gamecocks’ only losses so far this season are to Arkansas and Georgia.

In its match in Week 6 against Kentucky, South Carolina forced a fumble on the first play of the game, and on the very next play, scored a touchdown, a one-minute performance that set a precedent for the game. On offense, the Gamecocks had 356 total yards and redshirt junior quarterback Spencer Rattler finished with 14 completions on 19 attempts. Redshirt sophomore running back MarShawn Lloyd led the charge, rushing with 22 attempts for a net of 110 yards, and junior wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. led the receiver core with three receptions for 66 yards.

The defense totaled 67 tackles and six sacks, and on special teams, South Carolina tallied its

up from here’

The first game, an eight inning affair, featured many players that fans could recognize from previous years: junior first baseman Jack Moss, junior third baseman Trevor Werner and senior outfielder Jordan Thompson. Also on the field were standout newcomers such as Arizona State transfer shortstop Hunter Haas and freshman outfielder Jace LaViolette.

fifth blocked punt of the season.

“They have experience on defense up front. [Senior defensive lineman Zacch] Pickens and [junior defensive lineman Jordan] Burch up front, plus their d-line, do a great job,” Fisher said. “Spencer Rattler’s doing a good job at quarterback. The running back, No. 1, [Lloyd], can really run the ball … Receivers are making plays. Experienced offensive line. Special teams always does a great job. They’ve blocked five punts on the year. Good returners, good kickers, those type of things. South Carolina is always a very tough place to play. Great atmosphere over there, great environment, especially being a night game.”

For the Aggies, their Week 6 performance against Alabama silenced a lot of doubts but left a lot of questions still on the table. The match saw the return of sophomore quarterback Haynes King, who finished with 25 completions on 46 attempts for 253 yards.

However, the 54% completion rate was seemingly overlooked by the execution of the final play of the match that ultimately lost the game for the Aggies. The defense found its footing during the game in Tuscaloosa, Ala.,

as senior defensive back Demani Richardson listed 10 solo tackles and 12 total against the Crimson Tide and A&M seemingly shut down the Alabama run game, not allowing a single rushing touchdown.

“Going into the rest of the season, we know we’re going to see some good [running] backs,” junior defensive back Antonio Johnson said. “I know South Carolina’s got a good back in there. Ole Miss the following week has three good backs. So you know it’s a big emphasis on the defense right now to stop the run.”

Sitting 3-3 overall, the upcoming showdown against the Gamecocks will determine the momentum for the Aggies for the continuation of the season. A win would place hope in the hearts of fans and players alike for a better outcome than the 8-4 finish in the 2021 season, but a loss would seemingly imply the preseason efforts by the program would amount to little. However, South Carolina will be a force to reckon with as it will fight to add to its three-game winning streak.

By Emily Godsey @emgodsey

Texas A&M baseball bested Lamar in a 17-inning affair using crucial at-bats and a lethal combination of veterans and new talent during its exhibition game on Saturday, Oct. 15.

After an appearance at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., last season, the Aggies spent their summer months meticulously creating another championship-worthy roster. When Fall Ball exhibition gameplay officially began, the team was ready to showcase the skills they had expertly crafted during the offseason.

“This is just a little highlight in the middle of our fall practice, where we get to include the fans and give them a preview of our team,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said.

The game was structured into a doubleheader, utilizing pitch counts to maintain a reasonable pace for the athletes and attending fans. The 17 innings were used to provide ample opportunity for both teams’ players to take the field and gain valuable field experience, while the two-game split was used for coaches to experiment with different lineups and batting orders.

Because of the format of the matchup, there were many opportunities for pitchers to shine.

With LaViolette hitting three solo home runs in his first game in maroon and many other players experiencing bouts of offensive success, the game concluded after eight innings with a score of 13-2.

“It was our first real game against real competition, and we really played as a team — it was awesome to see,” LaViolette said.

The second game consisted of nine full innings and a smaller score gap between A&M and Lamar, largely due to the ever-changing lineups that both teams utilized as a way to provide each player with an ample opportunity to play. With the maroon and white’s Game 2 team housing a multitude of new players, it was obvious that Schlossnagle was attempting to allow the athletes to familiarize themselves with their surroundings.

“The exhibition games give us a chance to see our players — especially our new players — play against a different-colored jersey with a crowd and game production,” Schlossnagle said. “You find out some guys play better; it’s a great experience for both teams.”

It’s like ube r, but f o r lo nger dist a nces.

Cocky tries on the hat of a member of Parson’s Mounted Cavalry during Texas A&M’s game against South Carolina at Kyle Field on Oct. 23, 2021.

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

The Aggies look to get above .500 after dropping to 3-3 against Alabama in Week 6

Sophomore RHP Ty Sexton (37) pitches against the Lamar Cardinals at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

BASEBALL

BASEBALL CONTINUED

The Fightin’ Farmers were able to take Game 2 8-6 in a battle of pitching changes and fielding errors.

Both games provided the Aggies with the opportunity to connect with one another and gain the positive team morale that played a major role in their College World Series run.

“We’re trying to play together as a team — that’s what we were so good at last year, and we’re trying to replicate it,” Werner said.

While the team may look a bit different from years before, with the drafting of players like Micah Dallas and Dylan Rock

and the addition of the multitalented new faces, the team has already grown close during the offseason. And even after one game, they feel closer than before.

“It was a bonding moment for us,” LaViolette said. “Now that we see what we can do, and we play well with each other, it’s only up from here.”

Even with the work that had been put into preparing for the Lamar matchup, Schlossnagle said that the group is still not close to what fans can expect when the season starts in the spring. While there were highlights to the game, he said that there is still much to work on.

The maroon and white will play one more exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. There, the team will look to defeat

It’s like uber, but for longer distances.

Men’s tennis nds success at ITA Regional Tournament

By Jordan Epp @j_epp22

Texas A&M men’s tennis competed in both the duos and singles draws of the ITA Texas Regional Tournament between Oct. 14 and Oct. 18, and junior Pierce Rollins was the last player standing for A&M, falling in the finals of the singles tournament.

Rollins faced three ranked opponents as he surged through the singles bracket all the way into the finals, but after facing Baylor’s No.

100-ranked senior Finn Bass, lost by a margin of 6-2, 6-2. His performance allowed him to qualify for the ITA National Fall Championship in San Diego on Nov. 2.

“We are very proud of Pierce [Rollins’] performance throughout this week,” coach Steve Denton said. “He played some great tennis and will carry that with him to the ITA Fall Championship.”

The Aggies had strong performances from other players as well. Outside of Rollins, two singles players reached the quarterfinals of the singles tournament and two double teams

reached the quarterfinals of the doubles tournament.

“We played some tough matches and responded well,” Denton said following the Round of 16 matches. “We have three of the eight remaining singles players and a couple of doubles teams.”

Senior Noah Schachter and junior Kenner Taylor were the other Aggies who reached the regional quarterfinals in singles play. Schachter took down a pair of players from Rice before beating sophomore teammate JC Roddick in the Round of 16 to advance to the quar-

terfinals. Schachter’s run also came to an end at the hands of Bass, who also knocked off A&M sophomore Stefan Storch in the Round of 16. Taylor earned two 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 wins to advance to the quarterfinals before falling to TCU freshman Sebastian Gorzny.

In doubles play, the teams to reach the quarterfinals were Storch and junior Matthis Ross who lost 8-3 to a Baylor duo. As well, Schachter and senior Trey Hildebrand fell in the quarterfinals to a duo from UTSA.

CASH FOR CLOTHES

The Texas A&M Aggies baseball played two back-to-back preseason games against Lamar on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.

Robert O’Brien & Kalena Agpasan— THE BATTALION

Sam Houston and discover more of the team connectivity that is required to make it to another College World Series.

Aggies look to score big after bye

By Brad Bennett @Brad_Bennett13

Carolina

Stadium

is the case with every bitter rivalry, Satur-

game affords A&M the chance to make a statement following a slow 3-3 start to the season.

One of A&M’s main issues to start the season has been the performance of its offense. A&M’s style of offense has been one of the main through lines during its 2022 season. Head coach Jimbo Fisher’s play calling has been much derided by fans, but the unit showed notable improvements against Alabama.

Against the Crimson Tide, the main issue was the Aggie offensive line’s inability to block in either the run or pass game.

This made life much harder for sophomore quarterback Haynes King against a talented Crimson Tide defense. King seemed to pick up an injury but did lead the Aggies to within 2 yards of beating the Crimson Tide. While freshman receiver Evan Stewart finished with an impressive statline of eight catches and 106 yards, the rest of the offense struggled to find any kind of consistency.

South Carolina is coming off a 24-14 upset victory over No. 13 Kentucky. However, the victory came without Kentucky’s star senior quarterback Will Levis.

Otherwise, South Carolina has built up its 4-2 record beating middling programs such as Charlotte and South Carolina State. Against talented offenses such as Arkansas and No. 1 Georgia, its defense gave up 44 and 48 points, respectively. This makes it difficult to gauge just how good South Carolina is, either defensively or in general.

Defensively, the Gamecocks are led by senior defensive lineman Zacch Pickens and junior edge rusher Jordan Burch. Fisher mentioned Pickens and Burch as players the Aggies will need to watch out for when on offense. Burch comes into the game with 2.5 sacks and five tackles for loss while Pickens has one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. For the Aggies to have success on Saturday, their offensive line will

need to protect King.

“[South Carolina has] experience on defense up front,” Fisher said. “Pickens and Burch up front, plus their D-line, do a great job. Linebackers are active. Secondary does a really good job.”

Fisher expects King to be ready to go for the Aggies on Saturday, and said the offense as a whole needs to do a better job of executing. Fisher illustrated this by making a comparison to a couple of all-time great NFL quarterbacks.

“The two greatest quarterbacks of our era, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, have [been struggling],” Fisher said. “It shows you those two [are] as good as anybody, but you’ve got to play well around them for them to be able to function and do [well]. In time, as they get older and more experienced, they learn to clean up the messes of other people more and more. It’s still a team game, you know what I’m saying? But I think [King’s] grown, he’s matured and he’s practicing.”

Senior tight end Max Wright said the improvements of some of the younger players, specifically freshman offensive lineman Kam Dewberry, add to A&M’s offensive line.

“Some young guys have really been taking some steps,” Wright said. “Kam Dewberry, for him to come in that game, get some crucial

reps and be able to help us out on the offensive line was huge.”

Having depth on the line will help the Aggies deal with rigors of conference play, Wright said.

“We’ve had some guys go down on the offensive line, and being able to have some young guys step up is definitely really crucial,” Wright said. “You’ve got to be able to have depth, especially in such a long season in the SEC. You’re going to have guys [who] are going to get hurt and banged up, and you have to have young guys come in there, step in and not just fill the role but also perform really well.”

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said A&M’s young talent across the board on offense is something their defense is going to have to contain on Saturday.

“Coach Fisher’s done a great job with those guys,” Beamer said. “[A&M’s] playing a lot of freshmen, and they’ve battled a handful of injuries like we have. Really, really, really talented and [jumior running back Devon Achane] on offense is dynamic. A heck of a player. [Also have a] big, physical offensive line. Athletic tight ends and highly recruited receivers.”

A&M offense ready to take on second-half slate after middling start to season

Junior RB Devon Achane (6) runs through the end zone for a touchdown during A&M’s match against South Carolina at Kyle Field on Oct. 23, 2022.

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M @ South Carolina

MICHAELA

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block South Carolina.

AROUND THE SEC

By Jordan Epp

UT Martin (4-2) at No. 3 Tennessee (6-0)

Saturday, Oct. 22 — Neyland Stadium — Knoxville, Tenn. 11 a.m. on SEC Network

Congratulations to Tennessee on its 7-0 start to the season! Very exciting for them — wait, do you want me to say more? Well, Tennessee just upset Alabama last week for the first time since coach Nick Saban took over the Tide. The Volunteers are led by redshirt senior quarterback Hendon Hooker who is essentially a lock to be a Heisman

finalist.

UT Martin is currently undefeated, 3-0, in the Ohio Valley Conference and averages nearly 40 points per game. ESPN gives the Skyhawks a 0.6% chance of winning the game — so you’re saying there’s a chance?

Prediction: Tennessee 55, UT Martin 10

No. 7 Ole Miss (7-0) at LSU (5-2)

Saturday, Oct. 22 — Tiger Stadium — Baton Rouge, La. 2:30 p.m. on CBS

Don’t let the rankings fool you, Ole Miss might be on upset watch this week. LSU has won five of its last six games, only losing to Tennessee. After a Week 1 loss to Florida State, a team that has also proven itself as of late, the Tigers have beaten Mississippi State at home and Florida on the road.

Ole Miss, though, is undefeated

with a win over Kentucky on Oct. 1. The Rebels have one of the best running back duos in the country with freshman Quinshon Judkins and junior Zach Evans. Ole Miss has the best rushing offense in the SEC and will likely lean on it to keep the game controlled in a rowdy environment.

Prediction: Ole Miss 27, LSU 24

Vanderbilt (3-4) at Missouri (2-4)

Saturday, Oct. 22 — Memorial Stadium — Columbia, Mo. 3 p.m. on SEC Network

In Week 2, there was faith in Vanderbilt football. In Week 8, it’s gone. But, this game has the potential to be fun to watch during the 3 o’clock slate. My matchup to watch is Vanderbilt’s exciting junior wide receiver Will Sheppard, who has eight touchdowns this year, against Missouri’s junior cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, who has five pass

deflections in four games.

The Commodores are allowing nearly 40 points per game while the Tigers average two turnovers a game. This could be a sloppy game that goes one of two ways: neither team scores or neither team can stop scoring. For the sake of entertainment, let’s manifest the latter.

Prediction: Missouri 31, Vanderbilt 28

No. 24 Mississippi State (5-2) at No. 6 Alabama (6-1)

Saturday, Oct. 22 — Bryant-Denny Stadium — Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6 p.m. on ESPN

Mississippi State fans might be getting a serious case of deja vu. In 2021, the Bulldogs had the unfortunate opportunity to play Alabama after a loss. Against an angry Nick Saban and Co., the Crimson Tide thrashed Mississippi State to the tune of 49-9 in Starkville, Miss. Now, the Bulldogs get an angry Alabama in Bryant-Denny.

While Mississippi State has a potent offense, 35 points per game, that forces defenses to remain disciplined and capitalizes on mismatches and mistakes, that’s what Alabama is best at: not making mistakes and not allowing mismatches. However, this has been the most mistake-riddled Alabama team in a while.

Prediction: Alabama 42, Mississippi State 27

Defense slowing down South Carolina

Aggies look to block the Gamecocks in Columbus

By Jordan Epp @j_epp22

In many ways, Texas A&M football has found itself reflective of South Carolina’s season. Both SEC teams seemed to fall short of high expectations halfway through their season. Both teams have offenses trying to find their identities and defenses leading the charge.

The Gamecocks’ offense brought in a strong transfer portal class expecting to change the program going forward, while A&M’s defense has followed up on its successes of the past despite losing talent to the draft and gaining a new defensive coordinator in DJ Durkin. For either team to win on Saturday, Oct. 22, these sides of the ball will need to be focal points in Week 8 of the college football season.

The poster child of South Carolina’s offseason was redshirt junior quarterback Spencer Rattler. Rattler began his career at Oklahoma where, as a redshirt freshman in 2020, he became one of college football’s premier young talents. However, a rough 2021 season saw him fall out of favor and, eventually, replaced by then-freshman quarterback Caleb Williams, now at USC.

“Watching Spencer [Rattler], I feel like he’s a quarterback that trusts his arm and sometimes trusts his arm too much,” junior safety Antonio Johnson said.

However, Rattler still displays the talent that led him to be a pre-season Heisman contender for the past two seasons. Rattler has shown variance in his level of play, but when he hits the high end of that

variance, South Carolina’s team is tough to stop. Rattler’s upside was apparent in the second half of the Gamecocks’ Week 6 upset over Kentucky.

“I told him that Oklahoma played Texas today, [Oct. 8, and] it was in that game one year ago that he lost his starting job,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said. “One year later, he leads us to this.”

With a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 5 to 8, Rattler has a quarterback rating of just 43.2, 100th best in the Football Bowl Subdivision, according to ESPN. The middling performance of Rattler hasn’t been because of a lack of talent, though, as the Gamecocks have plenty of great pass catchers.

“I knew as the season went on, he and our offense and the passing game would get better with the familiarity and whatnot,” Beamer said. “I think they continue to get more and more confident with each other.”

Junior receiver Antwane “Juice” Wells, a transfer from James Madison, has been the leader of the offense with 375 yards in the air. Senior receiver Jalen Brooks has also cleared the 300-yard mark in the air, and the tight end duo of junior Jaheim Bell and senior Austin Stogner have combined for 231 yards.

The Aggies have been strong against the passing game so far this season, though, and could stifle the struggling Gamecocks offense. Sophomore defensive backs Jardin Gilbert and Tyreek Chappell have emerged as consistent contributors out wide while junior Jaylon Jones has taken charge since his return from injury.

At 175.5 yards per game, the Aggies have the 14th-best passing defense in the country and the second best in the SEC behind only Georgia. A solid outing against a top-ranked Alabama team be-

fore A&M’s bye week gave the Crimson Tide its second scare of the season. The defense has been the strongest aspect of A&M’s team this season.

“We got pressure,” A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. “They did a really nice job. They’re physical and moving the line of scrimmage … They’re getting better and better each week.”

However, the weakness has been A&M’s rushing defense, which has faced continuous attacks by teams over the course of the season. While Johnson and senior linebacker Chris Russell Jr. have racked up tackles all year, 48 and 41, respectively, this is an indication of the problem, not the solution.

The Aggies have allowed 286 yards, 144 yards, 244 yards, 175 yards and 181 yards on the ground in weeks 6 through 2, respectively. Allowing an average of 189.5 yards on the ground, the Aggies allow more rushing yards than receiving yards per game.

The Gamecocks have the personnel to exploit this weakness, such as redshirt sophomore running back MarShawn Lloyd. Two seasons removed from an ACL tear, Lloyd is averaging 119.7 yards on 7.5 yards per attempt over the team’s last three games. Lloyd only has two rushing touchdowns on the year, but the Gamecocks have 17, compared to their seven passing touchdowns.

For South Carolina, though, the question is not whether they are capable of running effectively. The Gamecocks have been arguably more efficient on the ground than in the air. The difficulty is whether or not the team can commit to a ground attack. Beamer has been committed to a balanced offense, running 185 passing plays to 204 rushing plays. The game plan that South Carolina chooses to execute could be the difference in the game.

“We know we’re going against some good [running backs],” Johnson said. “It’s a big emphasis on the defense right now to stop the run.”

Michaela Rush, Editor-in-Chief

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Icing out the competition

first period. Very shortly after, freshman Nate Polinsky checked a Baylor player hard into the boards, which caused both sides to go after each other. This set the tone for the game and energized the crowd.

By Matthew Cobb & Luke White @MatthewCobb_ & @lukewhite03

Three weeks into its season, the Texas A&M club ice hockey team stays perfect.

Texas A&M ice hockey team came in with a 4-0 record, hosting the 2-1 Baylor Bears on Friday, Oct. 14, in Spirit Ice Arena. The Aggies outlasted the Bears’ comeback efforts for a pair of wins by scores of 4-3 and 4-2.

It has been a great start to the season for A&M. The Aggies secured their fifth and sixth straight victories in what were scrappy and physical games from the start. The undefeated Aggies have outscored their opponents 28-10 thus far. A&M has picked up right where they left off in 2021 when they won the TCHC championship. With the wins, the maroon and white now sit in first place in the league and improve to 6-0 overall after sweeping Oklahoma State, Texas and Baylor to start the 2022-23 campaign.

The Aggies started off Game 1 against Baylor when junior forward Robby Sours scored the first goal with only 17:38 remaining in the

The aggressiveness of Aggie players gave Baylor a two-man advantage, but fantastic Aggie defense kept the puck away from the goal. More pushing and shoving, including an A&M player pushing a ref, led to a 10-minute misconduct penalty.

A roughing penalty on the Aggies shortly thereafter gave the Bears the advantage, and this time they would capitalize. A Baylor slapshot goal with 1:59 remaining brought the game to 1-1.

A near brawl on the ice capped off the first period, and the teams went into their respective locker rooms.

A dramatic first period left the game tied. The maroon and white would distance themselves a bit in the second.

A&M freshman forward Jacob Smith kicked things off with a two-on-one fast-break goal. Shortly thereafter, senior forward Matthew Perri followed it up with a goal of his own. The Aggies had a power play but did not take advantage, and the second period ended with a score of 3-1.

A&M felt good, cruising into the final set with a lead of two. However, it was clear that

the Bears were not backing down any time soon. Still playing tough and very physical, Baylor scored with 11:42 left on the clock.

Up 3-2, the maroon and white made a costly mistake. An A&M player pushed an opponent into the Aggie goal and held them there, warranting a roughing call. The penalty gave Baylor a two-man advantage with eight minutes remaining.

A strike of a slap shot in the top corner tied things up with a dramatic Baylor celebration to boot. Baylor had scored two unanswered and suddenly things were all tied up again. This would not last for long.

A&M struck right back with a one-on-one goal from junior forward Christian Spearman. A monumental goal that directly countered Baylor’s momentum seemed to all but seal it.

The Aggies were not done yet, though, and would have tacked on another one if not for a goal being waived off with 3:16 left to play.

A final Baylor timeout with 55 seconds, and an unsuccessful last-ditch effort to tie the game, wrapped things up in College Station for Game 1.

A&M wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in Game 2, though, as freshman forward Nicholas Leone broke free from the defense and, going one-on-one with senior goalie Matthew Cole, found the back of the net less than two minutes into the game.

The Aggies padded their lead with seven minutes remaining in the first period, as Smith managed to knock in the puck amid a scrum of players. A&M entered the first intermission up 2-0 after a defensive display by freshman goalie Peyton Woodlief.

The Aggies began to turn the matchup into a blowout when senior forward Daniel Dufresne scored to make it a 3-0 game with four minutes to go in the second period. Baylor refused to go down without a fight, literally and metaphorically, as freshman forward Joseph Vacca found the back of the net with 31 seconds remaining in the period to bring the Bears back into it.

The green and gold threatened again as junior forward Owen Eldersveld scored to bring Baylor within a goal at 3-2 with 8:32 remaining in the third and final period. As the 12th Man began to sweat despite the rink’s chilly temperatures, Leone added a huge insurance goal, his second of the match, to put the game away for A&M. The Aggies’ defense held up for the remaining time, securing the win.

A&M returns to the ice on Friday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 22, in Shreveport, La., to take on East Texas Baptist in a series that will determine first place in the conference.

The Tigers, who boast an NCAA-recognized team, sit in second place with a 5-0 record.

Aggies sweep Baylor in College Station over weekend series, remain undefeated

Junior forward Christian Spearman (17) skates out with the puck during A&M’s match against UT at Spirit Ice Arena on Sept. 30, 2022.

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION