The Battalion — October 5, 2023

Building campus unity

Students camp for tradition

By Camila Munoz @camila.munox

Whether it means sleeping on concrete or in a tent for over 10 days, Aggies are known to have a passion for their school and its traditions. Students have been lining the streets outside Kyle Field since last Saturday, at halftime of the Auburn game in order to secure a spot for the Texas A&M vs. Alabama game that will take place on Oct. 7.

Telecommunication junior Sophie Villarreal has been camping out since last Sunday. After seeing the first tent set up during the Auburn game, she knew she had to act fast and her group began to camp out, Villarreal said. Composed of 17 people, her group created a schedule and assigned shifts to ensure someone was always at the tent.

“I have really enjoyed the experience,” Villarreal said. “The best part has probably been just hanging out with all of my friends and meeting our neighbors. We made a massive Excel spreadsheet so everyone could be held accountable and record the 30-hour minimum requirement.”

Interim President Mark Welsh III discussed issues, addressed campus changes

By Nico Gutteridge @nico_gjc

The university continues to push forward, despite a summer of controversy.

In an all-staff, student and faculty meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 4, Interim President Mark A. Welsh III presented his decisions on former-President M. Katherine Banks’ Path Forward initiative, discussing issues facing the university, such as growing campus enrollment and librarian tenure.

On Sept. 19, a team including Vice President and Deputy CFO Joe Pettibon and Vice Provost Tim Scott, Ph.D., published a 32-page report detailing recommendations to the president on

Campus election results

By Ana Renfroe @aeoenia

The final results for the student government elections are in.

The Texas A&M Student Government Association, or SGA, Election Commission oversaw the fall 2023 election. Students voted from Thursday, Sept. 28, at 9 a.m. until Friday, Sept. 29 at noon. The Class of 2027 voted for freshman class president, and students voted for Student Senate representatives.

The unofficial results were released on the evening of Friday, Sept. 29 and were officially confirmed on Monday, Oct. 2 by Chief Justice Sawyer Bagley.

The officer winners are as follows:

• Freshman Class President: General engineering freshman Duncan Poling (61.23%)

• Freshman senators: Political science freshman Brendan Hurt (25.46%), agricultural economics freshman Jackson Steele (21.88%)

• Senator for College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Agricultural economics sophomore Hadley Harris

ELECTIONS ON PG. A3

the university’s next steps for Banks’ initiative.

On Oct. 4, Welsh presented his final decisions and said an accompanying survey received around 2,500 responses.

In the multi-hour-long meeting, Welsh went through the recommendations, showing the survey statistics and ending each with his final decision.

“One of the things that I have been impressed by, throughout this whole process, is that everybody I’ve talked to, everybody I’ve heard talking in our listening sessions, all the comments you read online — there’s no evil intentions here,” Welsh said. “Everybody really just believes in what they’re doing.”

Welsh said he would be reverting the Provost’s Office to its pre-Path Forward status by changing the title to executive vice president and provost to clearly identify the position as No. 2 in the university. The university will also move the vice president for faculty affairs position under the Provost’s Office, renaming the position

to vice provost for faculty affairs.

Welsh also said multiple programs and offices will return under the provost’s control, such as the Aggie Honor System Office, Transition Academic Programs, the Public Policy Internship Program, the Texas Real Estate Center, the Private Enterprise Research Center and the Hispanic Serving Institution Initiative.

Welsh then said he instructed Scott and Pettibon to make a committee to study the campus-wide effects of enrollment growth.

“There are so many stressors here on campus that have to do with growth,” Welsh said. “ … How big are we gonna get? Are we going to 150,000 [students]? Stop at 80[,000]? We don’t know. All of us have to deal with this. We need an answer.”

Welsh said he would accept the recommendations regarding libraries to maintain the current model.

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Villarreal has logged over 30 hours of camping since her group settled in. Although it was rewarding, Villarreal said the heat and the lack of outlets posed a strong challenge to her campout experience. Her group decided to camp out early because of how popular the Alabama game was and their love for football, Villarreal said.

“I think it’s the lore of Bama that makes it so popular,” Villarreal said. “When people think of Alabama and our rivalry, when it comes to their games, anybody and everybody is going to be out there.”

Aerospace engineering senior James Rushing said he slept overnight at Kyle Field to secure his tickets.

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Rolling into Kyle Field

By Cade Harris @cadeharris_

A battle of undefeated teams in the SEC West.

On Saturday, Oct. 7, Texas

A&M will host No. 11 Alabama for the first time since upsetting the top-ranked Crimson Tide in 2021. However, this season, the Aggies are off to a much better start since the last time they upset Nick Saban and company.

Both teams started similarly in terms of their wins and losses. The Aggies were defeated in Week 2 by Miami and a couple hours later, the Tide fell to Texas in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Since then, each team rattled off three straight victories, with two of those coming against division opponents.

Because of this, a matchup between two 2-0 teams in the SEC West will take place Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field, with the winner coming out as the lone undefeated team in the division.

“This is just another game for us and just a game that we’re really gonna take importance and preparation in everything that we can,” graduate A&M tight end Max Wright said. “I think that, especially this year, it’s an important game this weekend.”

The race for the SEC West title is wide open, with teams like Ole Miss and LSU already suffering a loss and other potential losses ahead on each team’s schedule. Graduate wide receiver Ainias Smith said his main worry is not about the standings.

“I’m just trying to keep my head on to what I need to do, make sure my grades are straight so that I can be able to play in the end, making sure that the team is straight, so that we have the right mindset going into each week,” Smith said. “Really just focusing on each week, not really worrying about the end result, just let’s win this weekend and continue on.”

Sophomore offensive lineman Dametrious Crownover said the standings can’t affect the way the team plays.

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Interim President Mark A. Welsh III talks to press at a media availability after his all-staff meeting regarding his decisions on the recommendations of the Sept. 19 Path Forward report at the Hall of Champions on Oct. 4, 2023.

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Former RB Devon Achane (6) runs with the ball during Texas A&M’s game against the Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

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A&M to gain rocket-testing capabilities

New university labratory to accomodate space research

By Justice Jenson @justice_jenson

Texas A&M will become one of three universities in the United States with rocket testing capabilities once the construction of the Propulsion and Energetics Research Laboratory, or PERL, is complete.

The lab will test rockets and other projects in extreme conditions, beginning with the Macaw Thruster, an engine commissioned by the Department of Defense and other private contractors for satellite use.

The director of the facility, Chris Thomas, Ph.D., said the laboratory’s purpose is to provide a safe operations space for testing potentially dangerous areas of interest — such as rockets.

“What it really is, is a facility to come and do extreme condition testing,” Thomas said. “It’s [for extreme conditions], by which I mean high pressure, high temperature [and] high flow rate. Things that are dangerous to do are perfect to do in there in a safe manner.” While the building itself does not host any groundbreaking technology, it is designed to streamline testing and provide experimenters the ability to run more dangerous experiments

than a normal lab could manage, Thomas said.

“We can drop it in this building that has seven blast-proof cells, and the idea is you can do all these things and if something goes wrong … that everyone is perfectly safe,” Thomas said.

Thomas said one of the laboratory’s first projects is the Macaw Thruster. The Macaw Thruster, along with its companion monopropellant ASCENT, is designed for the U.S. Air Force to use to maneuver satellites in orbit.

“We use [ASCENT and the Macaw Thruster] to move satellites out of harm’s way, of either something like a micro-meteoroid or an actual military threat,” Thomas said. “Some of the future of warfare will be fought in space, taking down people’s satellites.”

The Director of Advanced Propellants Michael Martin, Ph.D., said the new chemical propellant that will power the Macaw Thruster, ASCENT, is being developed by researchers at the nearby Turbomachinery Lab and the company Benchmark Space Systems to replace the predominant propellant — hydrazine — due to both the efficiency of ASCENT and improved safety.

“That’s one of the really nice things about [ASCENT,] is that most rocket fuels, if you have any kind of leak, it kills you pretty quickly, within a minute,” Martin said.

Martin said ASCENT was designed to replace hydrazine because hydrazine’s hazardous nature requires extensive safety precautions,

halting research, Martin said.

“Hydrazine will burn your lungs and kill you rather quickly, whereas [ASCENT] ... you can have it out on the table, open …,” Martin said. “As long as you don’t drink it, you’ll be fine.”

Martin also said the new thruster and propellant could be used in a potential global conflict, citing its improved efficiency of thrust and safety in comparison to the currently used hydrazine.

“We know in the first days of World War III that the [communication] satellites might

Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M/Facebook

get destroyed by laser or by whatever,” Martin said. “And so, you could have replacement satellites already built and in a warehouse … you can’t do that with hydrazine.”

Martin said while this new technology is promising, it will likely take years to be implemented due to the difficulty of replacing a propellant that the U.S. government has been using for decades.

“It hasn’t flown for 40 years like hydrazine has,” Martin said. “That’s the problem with trying to introduce new things.”

Underage drinking incidents increase on Northgate

Police department cracks down on minors in posession

By J. M. Wise @j_m_wise25

As the weekend rolls around, students pour into many of the bars in the Northgate District. Among the crowds, a specialized unit of police officers patrol the streets on bikes, responding to emergency calls, conducting bar sweeps and checking the IDs of patrons in search of underage drinkers.

The number of “minor in possession” charges, or MIPs, in College Station has drastically spiked. The city marked over 1,000 charges since Sept. 2022 and is facing rising convictions as enrollment at Texas A&M increases year after year.

The College Station Police Department, or CSPD, Tourism and Entertainment Policing team — known as the bike cops of Northgate — are assigned to ensure the safety of students, residents and visitors.

CPSD Public Information Officer David Simmons said there are multiple factors play-

ing into the rising number of charges.

“On a game day weekend, we are welcoming thousands of people to College Station,” Simmons said. “That’s going to spike the numbers. When you’re also adding in the students when they come back, that’s also going to increase the number [of minors in possession charges].”

Because of the city ordinance banning alcohol outside of bars, Simmons said patrons can be stopped and have their IDs checked, increasing the likelihood of underage patrons being charged with MIPs.

“The College Station Entertainment unit only works on Northgate,” Simmons said. “This is their bread and butter, and they know everything about Northgate. They know when to stop a young-looking patron, someone who looks to be under 21 and they know how to charge them with a MIP.”

Biomedical sciences senior Rafael Fernandez, a volunteer first responder and vice president of the Texas A&M Emergency Care Team, said football games increase the number of underage drinkers. He said the first time a person is exposed to alcohol in college, emergency services are often needed.

“They may not know what their limit is, especially if they are minors, they may not even know what they are drinking,” Fernandez said. “A lot of it is misconceptions [about drinking]. I definitely think better education needs to be conducted.”

Fernandez said the increased rate of MIP charges has not led to lower drinking rates among college students.

“We make it too much of a punishment … because a lot of it is people don’t know what they are putting in their bodies,” Fernandez said.

Simmons said CSPD wants local college students to be aware of the harmful effects of minors consuming alcohol.

“We want everybody to be safe,” Simmons said. “The department wants these [underaged] students to know not to choose to drink at Northgate.”

Simmons said the health effects of underage drinking can prove a hazard to the community as well as individuals.

Alcohol use by minors was underreported, but 27.4% of college students engaged in binge drinking, said Dr. Tiffany Skaggs, M.D., the senior director for primary care at the Uni-

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versity Health Services. Skaggs said the consequences of risky behavior were most apparent in minors.

“It’s not just alcohol, but the consequences of risky behavior related to alcohol,” Skaggs said. “1,500 college students die each year from alcohol-related injuries in motor vehicle accidents, and that’s preventable. One in four college students report academic problems from drinking … just because you’re young and healthy doesn’t mean you’re immune to these consequences.”

Skaggs said she urges students who may become involved in underage drinking to seek medical attention if needed.

“University Health Services is a mandatory reporter for crimes, but that should not deter any student from calling emergency services if alcohol poisoning is suspected,” Skaggs said. “Everyone who needs emergency care will receive it, even if they are underaged.”

All three experts said underage drinking was a growing issue and that more needed to be done to prevent injury or harm.

“Ultimately, education is going to reduce the numbers [of MIPs],” Fernandez said. “[Underaged drinking] is not worth the risk.”

ELECTIONS FROM PG. A1

• Senator for School of

Architecture: Architecture freshman Emily Orozco (65.52%), urban and regional planning sophomore Travis Pharr (58.62% )

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His group consisted of nine students who did rotations waiting in line in their tent.

“As a senior, I really want to make this last year count,” Rushing said. “I have been pulling tickets this entire season because I think it is

The university will also be adding $3.3 million to the library operating budget, Welsh said.

“Two big positions in this discussion were: go back to tenured librarians [and] recreate the model we had before,” Welsh said. “The group most strongly against that were librarians. They just didn’t want to go back to that right now. [Losing tenure] was pretty traumatic for them, and they don’t think that’s the most important thing right now.”

A task force on academic freedom will codify academic freedom for librarians in the near future instead, Welsh said.

Next, Welsh said a university-wide space allocation study will be conducted to make recommendations on proper location usage, such as the relocation of the Medical Sciences Library, a result of the Path Forward that’s now being reversed.

The College of Arts and Sciences will continue as normal and not be divided into multiple colleges, Welsh said.

“There are pretty strong views on both sides,” Welsh said. “ … There are a good number of people who agree that we should stay the course on this and give it a chance. They’re starting to see the benefits of a larger college — this a huge college, now. The College of Arts and Sciences is now larger than [the College of] Engineering.”

The Transition Academic Programs and the Office of Professional School Advising will also be moved

• Senator for School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences: Biomedical sciences

freshman Zoe Lowe (77.78%)

• Senator for Texas A&M

Health: Community health junior Ryan Vu (96.81%)

• Senator for Off-Campus

an important part of Aggie culture.

Ticket pull is one of those traditions that make A&M so special, it is so unique and it is so cool to be a part of it.”

Rushing said future campers should come prepared and bring their electronics charged. Due to the high occupancy of outlets, the electricity near Kyle Field would

out of the College of Arts and Sciences and to the Office of the Provost and Career Center, Welsh said.

He said the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts will stabilize a business plan, and the school’s new building will be completed soon.

Welsh also said the journalism program will continue after the highly-publicized failed hiring of Kathleen McElroy, Ph.D.

“Let’s keep it going, reestablish the program,” Welsh said. “It’s been approved. It’s underway now. We had very visible issues this last summer, and we didn’t do a great job at finishing the hire [of] who I think would have been [a] great program director. So we just need to go find a great program director with the same kind of skill set.”

Welsh said he would be ending the pursuit of a life sciences meta major, an initiative that would’ve brought the engineering program’s entry-to-a-major system to life sciences.

Centralized advising would continue as normal, and the new information technology services management degree will stay in the College of Engineering, Welsh said.

A separate report on the Galveston campus will be coming out next week as well, he said.

He also said the Counseling and Psychology Services, or CAPS, and the Student Health Services will be retained by the Health Science Center, reversing Path Forward changes.

Welsh said the final report with his decisions will be released soon.

“Some of these recommenda-

Residencies: Business honors junior William Sullivan (36.43%), economics sophomore Alli Grace Ott (36.32%), petroleum engineering senior Cain Landry (23.09%)

General engineering freshman Duncan Poling, the newly-elected

go out frequently, leaving campers with no charging stations or even having their fans turned off in the middle of the night in the scorching heat, Rushing said.

As a graduating animal science senior, Emily Summers said she wanted to go all out and camp out. Alongside nine of her closest friends, Summers said her group spent hours

freshman class president, released a statement announcing his election win.

“I give all the credit to my wonderful campaign team, and freshmen from areas all across campus who wanted me to represent their vision,” the statement reads. “I want nothing more but to be a resource for the Class of ‘27 and to be a

outside Kyle in hopes of scoring the best seats possible.

“This was my first time camping out,” Summer said. “We only came with two chairs and a blanket but it was fun to see how all-out people go for ticket pull. I got to Kyle [Field] at 4:00 a.m. and spent four hours waiting in line.”

Summer said the community

representative for your aspirations.”

Poling said he encouraged freshmen to speak with him for feedback to help fulfill his duties.

“Once again I am incredibly excited to see what our class accomplishes,” Poling said.

was friendly. Despite the chaos of Monday morning pull, other Aggies would come bringing breakfast and donuts for people waiting in line.

“No one does it like A&M,” Rushing said. “We take it further because our students care so much. That’s why I do it. I want to get a good view, get some good seats, and BTHO of Alabama this Saturday.”

tions — they just won’t turn out well,” Welsh said. “ … We should always be in the business of getting better, too. Conversation about all these things should continue, and your voice has to be part of it. If it doesn’t, we fail.”

At a press conference following the meeting, Welsh said he began reviewing the Path Forward because it affects campus more than anything else.

“We changed major academic organizations, we shut down colleges, we built new colleges, we moved departments … we changed virtually everything,” Welsh said. “I think, clearly, when I came into the job, there was a feeling that there was confusion, frustration, maybe a little bit of anger about things. I wanted to make sure we went back and looked at those things we’ve

been going through the last couple of years and make sure we understood what was causing it and if there was a way to relieve some of that tension.”

Speaker of the Faculty Senate Tracy Hammond shared a statement regarding the meeting.

“The president’s all-faculty, staff and students meeting made abundantly clear that Interim President Welsh understands and practices shared governance,” the statement reads. “He has listened to the faculty and made decisions based on their voice and relevant data. He provided a rationale for all decisions so that even when you disagreed with a decision, you could understand why the decision was made. I, myself, disagreed with at least one of the recommendations, but I was comfortable with the decision made.”

The statement said the most meaningful message was the respect Welsh displayed for faculty and staff.

“It made me warm inside to hear him say that he preferred to ask the faculty how to move forward rather than an external consulting company, and I was not alone, as it brought strong cheers from the crowd,” the statement reads.

The meeting brought students, staff and faculty together, the statement read.

“Given recent events, I think the biggest surprise was that there were no surprises,” the statement reads. “The faculty are starting to feel that they can stop acting like they are walking on eggshells and take a deep breath. In all appearances, it seems that we are finally moving forward together as one as we should have been doing all along.”

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Interim President Mark A. Welsh III speaks to attendees on Oct. 4, 2023 at the Hall of Champions.

Stop looking down on short kings

Opinion writer says don’t underestimate compatability based on height

By Maddie McMurrough

“Blimey. That’s one big woman.”

My mother is 5 feet, 3 inches tall, and my father is 6 feet, 4 inches. Unfortunately for me, I got my height from my dad. I’m 5 feet, 10 inches and best described as “having legs for days.” Because of my giant genes, my jeans must be ordered extra long and my shoes extra flat. However, when I feel like being intimidating, I put on my tallest heels and approach a towering 6 feet, 2 inches.

Sure, my long legs come in handy when I’m running late and need to be somewhere quickly, or when I’m at a concert and don’t have to worry about my view being blocked. But when it comes to dating, I used to wish I was a 5-foot shorty like my mother.

But now, I have come to accept that I will likely not date anyone taller than me. Tall men love the 5-footers. Maybe the height difference is some kind of boost to their masculinity? Men subconsciously search for dainty

and small women to domesticate. Well, I have never been described as dainty or small, so I hate to disappoint you boys; you can exit this article now.

On the opposite end, most women don’t want a short guy. Again, subconsciously, women are looking for that power difference. Maybe to feel safe? To match the heteronormative status quo? My anger issues and uppercut hook make me feel safe enough, thank you very much.

What I’m trying to say is that tall women and short men really aren’t that different when it comes to dating. We’re both romantic rejects.

So, my modest proposal is that tall women and short men should start seeing their commonalities and give love a chance. Of course, attraction is not something you choose. If we could choose who we like, we wouldn’t have those embarrassing moments when you show your friend the guys you’ve talked to in the past, and they respond with “as long as you’re happy.” It’s OK, everyone regrets their past crushes.

But nonetheless, don’t let height be a deal breaker. I can tell you most people who know they’re hot stuff are usually the worst people to date. And I’m sorry, tall boys and short girls know they’re in demand and act accordingly. Whereas a romantic reject will be more

humble, oftentimes more genuine and more appreciative of the moments they get to spend with you.

We know we’re not what the general population is looking for. So, we won’t act like douchebags. Of course, there’s always outliers, and it is really tough to get played by someone 2 feet shorter than you, but hey, love is a battlefield. Plus, it makes the breakup easier when you can say you were taller than them. Or when you can check off your list that you were powerful enough to pull a tall woman at one point in your life. Both forms of coping have merit in different ways.

Look at Donkey from “Shrek.” The love of his life is five times taller than him and a different species entirely, and they’re couple goals. We should all hope to find our soulmate whom we create weird half-donkey, half-dragon children with. Is that too much to ask?

I know, tall girls are intimidating. I myself have been told that I am very scary to approach, so boys you might be putting up your defenses in comments saying you don’t want tall women in the first place, but I know you’re all in love with Lady Dimitrescu, so that argument is moot. Girls will find it attractive when you are brave, even if we could pick you up and hold you on our hips like a toddler.

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There is something irresistible about a man who is confident enough in himself to handle a tall girl like me.

People can get caught up in relationship aesthetics that we can disregard a whole population of people based on their height rather than their character. Height is not something that someone can control, having a bad personality and poor morals is. Are we really going to be that vain to disregard someone based on their height?

I don’t care how attractive you are physically, what’s attractive to me is being a good person and having a sense of humor. Gasp! Who’d’ve thought? You don’t have to be a certain height to garner my affection, you just have to be funny and kind. Some of the worst people I have dated are the ones taller than me. They know they’re tall and desired for it so they end up having little to no personality and even less morals.

All in all, the romantic rejects deserve love too. So girls, the next time a short guy approaches you don’t laugh him off and call him a ‘Farquad’ before you get to know him. And boys, if you see a tall girl, be like Donkey, and conquer that Dragon.

Maddie McMurrough is an agricultural communications and journalism junior and opinion writer for The Battalion.

If you pay for a print classified, it runs for free on www.thebatt.com, which receives two million page views every year and this past year had 10.5 million impressions on advertising content placed on the site. The Battalion, thebatt.com and the Maroon Life magazines are great ways to reach readers at Texas A&M.

@MadsMcMurrough

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NO NCAA? NO PROBLEM.

Despite the lack of Division I programs, competitions in Texas, A&M Gymnastics has found its own niche

By Ian Curtis @texiancurtis

Freshman gymnast Caitlyn Wagner’s mom put her in gymnastics lessons as soon as she could walk, and Wagner has been hooked ever since.

That early introduction to the sport led to a successful 11-year youth club career that was brought to an end by injury during Wagner’s senior year of high school. Instead of pursuing a return to the competitive club ranks or a spot on an NCAA squad, Wagner found herself joining the Texas A&M club gymnastics program upon her arrival in College Station.

“I just wanted to have fun with it,” Wagner said. “And this time, I am.”

Wagner said she was attracted to the program’s simple philosophy: the club is only as serious as you want it to be.

For some, that means practicing three hours a day, five days a week, to lead the Aggies to their first team National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs national championship since 2019 — their thirteenth since the club was founded in 1923. For others, that means fulfilling a lifelong dream of learning how to do a backflip.

“It doesn’t matter how much experience you have,” junior vice president Juilanne Savage said. “You can come in and do handstands and leave. We are going to treat you the same.”

Senior men’s captain Tyler Naukum said that mentality fosters a sense of community that has kept the self-described “super senior” in the program for years.

“I’d love to say that coming here and doing gymnastics is my favorite part, but it’s really the people,” Naukum said. “I’ve come in here multiple days, and I may have touched one event for maybe 15 or 20 minutes. And then I talked for the rest of the time and realized that that is more entertaining and beneficial in the long run.”

Don’t let the focus on fun give you the wrong impression. This is a team that wants to win another NAIGC Level Nine national championship, the highest division of women’s competition sponsored by the organization.

“We have a really great group here,” senior women’s captain Genny Hyla said. “I think we could hit the top three. That’s my goal for our Level Nines.”

There are a few reasons why the Aggies are among the nation’s top club programs as opposed to contending for SEC titles, with the elephant in the room being college gymnastics’ place in Texas — or lack thereof.

Texas has long been a hotbed for gymnastics talent. A third of the athletes on Team USA’s women’s gymnastics squad at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics hailed from the Lone Star State, including four-time gold medalist Simone Biles.

The talent in Texas has not translated into an abundance of NCAA gymnastics programs. Only one school, Division II Texas Women’s University in Denton, sponsors a varsitylevel women’s squad. And on the men’s side, only a handful of colleges sponsor the sport at all.

That void provides an opportunity for gymnasts such as Hyla who enjoy the unique environment the Aggie club has created.

“The fact that we don’t have a DI gymnastics team is actually why I’m here,” Hyla said. “I’m not at a DI level. Going to a school that did have that probably would have made me feel left out. But that’s what I love about here — this is our gymnastics team. This is everyone.”

That’s not to say the club is opposed to the Maroon and White joining the NCAA gymnastics ranks — far from it. Hyla recently wrote a paper on the subject, and believes the addition of Texas and Oklahoma (the latter of which does sponsor NCAA men’s and women’s gymnastics) to the SEC may provoke the state’s schools into adding gymnastics to their repertoire.

“There’s so much money in SEC gymnastics that Texas is just missing out on right now,” Hyla said. “A lot of the gymnasts who would want to go to college in Texas can’t because there’s no DI program here, and they have to go to OU or LSU instead. If there was a DI school in Texas, a lot of those gymnasts would prefer to stay in state.”

A&M’s gymnastics program sees the lack of an NCAA squad as an opportunity to find its own place within the university, and is happy to capitalize on the positives.

“The fact that we’re not NCAA-sponsored is both a good and a bad thing,” Naukum said. “I definitely think it’s a good thing because we can bring in new people and introduce gymnastics to people who have maybe never seen or never done gymnastics.”

The seemingly eternal NCAA question aside, it’s Aggie gymnastics’ unique niche it’s carved out over the last century that continues to attract newcomers like Wagner and keep leaders like Naukum coming back for more.

“Whatever you want to work on, you come in here and you work on it, and people help you out, and you help other people out,” Savage said. “We come in, we grind, we put in the work and hope to improve. That’s basically what it looks like.”

Biomedical engineering freshman Sarah Buchanan, mathmatics junior Joel Montgomery and engineering freshman Ahren Peters practice their skills before the start of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023

“I think it’s just very much [that] we all hold ourselves to a standard, and we can’t change that for anybody,” Crownover said.

A&M students have been lining up for over a week to get tickets for the Alabama game and have been rewarded with donuts being handed out by players of the team.

“It just shows the commitment that the fans have for this team,” Wright said. “It’s really encouraging for us, especially knowing these students have classes and stuff, and they’re out here sleeping in a tent and on concrete.”

“I better prepare the best I can to make the ticket they buy worth it,” Wright said.

With that many fans planning on packing the East Side of Kyle Field, there is no doubt the atmosphere will be rocking on Saturday. Alabama sophomore offensive lineman Tyler Booker said on The Next Round podcast that the Crimson Tide have a specific mindset on the road.

“Our mindset is, let’s see how fast we can empty the stadium,” Booker said.

If the Tide is to empty the stadium as quickly as they did last week against Mississippi State, then it will have to start with stopping the Aggies defense.

Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin and the A&M defense have wreaked havoc since its embarrassing performance against the Hurricanes, only allowing one touchdown in 12 quarters.

The Aggies have done so by bringing pressure to the opposing quarterbacks, accumulating 14 total sacks in their last two SEC games.

Most impressively, the Aggies limited one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC, senior KJ Jefferson of Arkansas to just 132 yards through the air while holding one of the premier running backs in the league, Arkansas’ junior Raheem ‘Rocket’ Sanders to just 32 yards on the ground.

However, the defensive front seven will be tasked with facing a much tougher offensive line than the Razorbacks’, led by Booker, senior center Seth McGlaughlin and junior offensive tackle JC Latham.

The battle in the trenches will be important in deciding how much redshirt sophomore

quarterback Jalen Milroe and senior running back Jase McClellan can produce against the Aggies’ defense.

“Any time you play this team, it’s a battle and it’s like a true SEC battle,” Wright said. “It’s won up front, and it’s won in the trenches which I truly love.”

Milroe has struggled early and was benched for the Tide’s Week 3 matchup, but since then he has looked more in control in defeating the two SEC Mississippi schools.

A&M’s offense will also be up against the best defense they have faced all season. It will be a big task for redshirt sophomore quarterback Max Johnson, but he has proved in the last two weeks that he is more than capable in leading his team to victory.

Johnson has multiple weapons to work with in the passing game with sophomore Evan Stewart, brother and tight end Jake Johnson, as well as Smith.

For Smith, playing against Saban and the tide has a deeper meaning for him. When his brother, Maurice Smith, tried to transfer from Alabama to Georgia, the Tide made it a tough process to get his transfer waiver signed.

“I feel like this game is always more personal, everytime I play him [Saban],” Ainias said. “What happened, that’s in the past now, I’m not able to control it but every time I do look on the sideline, I do think about what happened and I definitely will be thinking about it.”

Ainias said he is very familiar with what Saban does offensively and defensively.

“I know what Nick Saban wants and we’re gonna mess that up,” Ainias said. “If them boys have momentum, we’re gonna have to take that away immediately.”

Despite Smith’s personal vendetta against the Tide, he said a lot of players in the locker room have felt a little disrespected with the way the national media is portraying them compared to other teams.

“I feel like everyone in that locker room plays with a chip on their shoulder, whether they’re the starters, whether they’re the backups, whether they’re the walk-ons,” Smith said. “I feel like that’s what it’s going to take.”

Texas A&M played Arkansas in the annual Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Aggies beat Arkansas 34-22 during the matchup on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023.

Ishika Samant, Kyle Heise, Chris Swann --THE BATTALION

AROUND THE SEC

A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE FOR WEEK 6

A preview to the conference matchups this weekend

By Justin Chen @chen_justin_

No. 23 LSU at No. 21 Missouri

Saturday, Oct. 7 — 11 a.m. on ESPN Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field Columbia, Missouri

A big catfight is brewing in Missouri this Saturday between No. 23 LSU and No. 21 Missouri. Despite the same mascot namesake, the two teams have had different starts to the season.

Missouri shot out of a cannon, marking the best start in the Eli Drinkwitz era with a perfect 5-0. This stretch is highlighted by a dramatic win over then No. 15 Kansas State. Senior kicker Harrison Mevis, made SEC history, drilling a 61-yard field goal.

The gold and black’s offense has been efficient, led by junior quarterback Brady Cook, who’s thrown for 11 touchdowns with zero interceptions. It also helps to have a stud sophomore receiver, Luther Burden III, who’s leading the country in receiving yards with 644 and has hauled in 43 receptions.

The visiting Tigers’ start to the season has not been ideal.They dropped their first game to Florida State and lost their latest game to Ole Miss.Through the ups and downs, the one thing that has stayed consistent is senior quarterback Jayden Daniels.

The dual-threat QB holds the third spot in the country in passing yards, going for 1,710 yards. He’s thrown 16 touchdowns to only two picks. Daniels’ stellar play has produced the ninth-best quarterback rating in the country with 86.1.

The matchup will come down to which defense can hold its own as both teams boast top-notch offenses in an early SEC game.

Prediction: Missouri 34, LSU 31

No. 20 Kentucky at No. 1 Georgia

Saturday, Oct. 7 — 6 p.m. on ESPN

Sanford Stadium

Athens, Georgia

The Bulldogs come into this game as the heavy favorites. They are well-rounded both offensively and defensively, but ran into a scare against Auburn. With their win streak and ranking at stake, junior tight end Brock Bowers delivered a late touchdown to help Georgia escape with a win.To avoid another scare, or even upset this time around, the Bulldogs will need to have a strong start, especially against the on-fire Wildcats.

Majority of the Georgia offense has come through the air. Junior quarterback Carson Beck is eighth in the country in passing yards, with Bowers being his go-to guy. After missing the first two games to injury, senior running back Daijun Edwards has created lanes in the offense, rushing for a team-high 260 yards to go with five touchdowns.

While Kentucky’s offense isn’t anything special, their defense has been outstanding. One of the best defenses in the country in keeping opposing offenses in check, sophomore defensive back Maxwell Hairston has led the way. Hairston’s play has been all over the field, leading the team in tackles with 33 total and has made life hard for opposing quarterbacks with three passes defended and three picks.

Don’t be surprised if Kentucky makes it a close game and even pulls out the upset win, but it’ll come down to an offense that needs to put up points by any means necessary.

Prediction: Georgia 31, Kentucky 24

COMICS

Arkansas at No. 16 Ole Miss

Saturday, Oct. 7 — 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Oxford, Mississippi

In the last slate of SEC games, the Rebels will take on a struggling Razorbacks team. Ole Miss is fresh off a shootout win against LSU where they showcased a strong balance between the pass and run game. Meanwhile, Arkansas has dropped its last three games in a row, losing to BYU, LSU and Texas A&M.

The Rebels’ offense has been churning out yards with 517 yards per game, good for second in the conference and eighth in the nation. Conducting the offense is junior quarterback Jaxson Dart. His dual-threat ability has translated well, throwing for 11 touchdowns to two interceptions and has garnered the second-most rushing yards on the team. For the visiting Razorbacks, this season has not been kind to them. Though senior quarterback KJ Jefferson has been keeping the offense afloat, the defense has let the team down. In the three-game losing skid, Arkansas’s defense gave up over 30 points in each game, and against a running Rebels’ offense that has seen much success so far, it may falter yet again.

Prediction: Ole Miss 40, Arkansas 24

Cadet Slouch/@Quad.Comics

Players to watch: Alabama

By Hunter Mitchell @HunterM1001

The game that has been circled on Texas A&M football’s calendar for months is finally here.

Just two years removed from a game-ending field goal and one year from a near-upset victory for the Maroon and White in Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama returns back to College Station for a pivotal SEC West matchup.

Since last season, many faces have stepped into the limelight for the Crimson Tide and the Aggies. Here are a few names to look out for.

Kool-Aid McKinstry, DB (Alabama)

With possibly the best NIL deal in all of college sports, McKinstry has also made headlines with his play. While his numbers may not jump off the page, it’s hard for a cornerback to rack up stats when the other team refuses to throw the ball towards him.

The Birmingham, Alabama native only has nine solo tackles and four pass deflections on the year, but has helped the Crimson Tide to a top-25 passing defense in the country. McKinstry will be lined up against a deep A&M wide receiver room, and he will be paired up against wideouts like sophomore Evan Stewart and graduate Ainias Smith come Saturday, Oct. 7, offering his biggest challenge so far this weekend.

Walter Nolen, DL (Texas A&M)

Truthfully, any one of A&M’s defensive linemen could be on this list, as the Aggies’ front has been on a tear the past few weeks. After another 15-tackle for loss performance, the Maroon and White became the fourth team in the last 20 seasons to have 15 or more TFLs in a two-game span. The Aggies are also tied for second in the country in total sacks and fifth in total defense.

Nolen, a part of the historic 2021 recruiting class, has been a defensive bastion this season. The Powell, Tennessee native ranks third in the team in total tackles and is tied for second in sacks and TFL with three and 6.5 respectively.

Alabama’s offensive line matches up poorly with the Maroon and White’s defensive front, as the Crimson Tide ranks 126 in sacks allowed and 119 in TFL allowed. Nolen and the Aggie defensive front are set up for another big game for a third week in a row if they can exploit Alabama’s offense up front.

Jase McClennan, RB (Alabama)

The Crimson Tide’s offense has looked quite different from the Bryce Young-led team of last season. Sophomore quarterback Jalen Milroe has stepped into the starting role and has struggled at times this season.

This is why it is impertinent that Alabama establishes a run game with McClennan against A&M’s defense.

In last week’s game against Mississippi State, the Crimson Tide rushed 42 times, only attempting 12 passes all game. Despite this, McClennan only rushed for 63 yards but still leads the team in rushing yards with 326. In Alabama’s biggest win of the season, the Aledo native had his only over-100 yard rushing performance against Ole Miss.

To have success against A&M’s defense, Alabama will need to find success on the ground, as the Aggies are No. 9 in passing yards allowed. This is only slightly easier said than done, with the Maroon and White also sitting at No. 20 in rushing defense.

Jake Johnson, TE (Texas A&M)

A&M has a plethora of options on the receiving front, but a big X factor going into this matchup is the starting QB’s little brother.

After tight end Donovan Green went down with an ACL injury, Johnson has stepped into the starting role and has come into his own the last few weeks. After catching his first touchdown against Auburn, the Athens, Georgia native has yet to have a break-out performance this season.

With the Crimson Tide’s secondary squaring up against A&M’s wide receivers, Johnson should find himself in a bigger role this weekend and could prove vital to the Aggies’ passing attack against Alabama.

The Aggie defense groups to stop Arkansas from getting a first down during the Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023.

Chris Swann — THE BATTALION