As students returned to campus this semester, many were dismayed to discover the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, was not included as an early voting location for the upcoming November midterm elections.
With 12- and 8-Week Courses 12-week classes begin Sept. 26 8-week classes begin Oct. 24 www.blinn.edu/fall blinnbound@blinn.edu * Available online THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2022 STUDENT MEDIA The Class of 2024 photo disaster
By Amanda Hare @AmandaHare_11
By John Chapa @JohnDChapa Aggie Park officially opened to public on Friday, Sept. 2
Robert O’Brien— THE BATTALION MSC VOTING ON PG. A2
“These events are kind of an example of some of the ways we’ve helped our students connect in the past.” As for how the Bush School was able to book speakers who knew Bush, and Robyn Small, marketing and communications director for the Bush School, attributed the school’s notoriety.
Falade — THE BATTALION Cade Gossett — THE BATTALION
The
On July 5, the majority of Texas A&M’s student population was away when the Brazos County Commissioners Court voted 4-1 for the approval of early voting locations which, for the first time in several years, did not include the MSC. Instead, the new College Station City Hall took its place. In response to this decision, 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 commissioners court during the public comment period of the Aug. 30 meeting to advocate for the MSC early voting“Thislocation.decision will be disenfranchising hundreds of faculty, staff and, of course, students and their ability to vote early and easily,” Samuel said. “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, who is also the president and founder of the A&M chapter of Mobilize. Organize. Vote. Empower., or MOVE, said the first time she ever voted was as a freshman at A&M, and even with early voting the lines were still long. “I thought I had allocated plenty of time — three hours,” Samuel said. “Little did I know that that line would warp around the building several times. … I barely made it in time to vote and go to class.”
SPORTS SECTION ON B1
After two years of construction, Aggie Park is complete and ready to serve Texas A&M’s current and former students. Aggie Park is the newest addition to A&M’s main campus. The $36 million dollar project, funded entirely by generous donations, includes features such as Wi-Fi, an outdoor amphitheater, water features, modern public restrooms and space for tailgating, recreation and entertainment. On Sept. 2, the night before A&M’s first home football game this season, Robert Earl Keen performed a free concert to kick off the park’s opening. A lightning delay didn’t stop the attendees from enjoying the show — Animal science junior Carlie Rogers said it was delightful to watch Robert Earl Keen on his last concert tour.
“It’s heartwarming how Robert Earl Keen is an Aggie and decided to put on a show for his fellow Aggies,” Rogers said. “It means that we are more than a bunch of students. We are a family and we give back to the greatest university there is.” Rogers said she felt there were going to be many more special moments made at Aggie Park.“I think [Aggie Park] is another thing about our university that makes us so special and full of tradition,” Rogers said. “I believe that there will be many memories made, and the park goes to show how the alumni center cares about its students and how alumni love A&M.”OnSaturday, Sept 3, the new park hosted tailgaters for the first Aggie football game of Visitors stand on the Plank Bridge at Aggie Park on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. of hosts: Aggie Park grand opening
In honor of its 25th anniversary, the Bush School of Government and Public Service will host events for students from Sept. 6-10 as part of its year-long celebration. The events will feature a series of “The 41 I Knew” lunchtime talks with former colleagues and associates of the late former president George H.W. Bush. The school will also host a private ceremony dedicated to “Ride Home,” a 16-foot long painting depicting Bush’s funeral train. America’s VetDogs CEO John Miller will be at the Bush Library with Bush’s service dog, Sully, and Reveille. John Cronin and Mark Cronin, owners of John’s Crazy Socks, will sell unique sock designs and talk about their relationship with Bush. Finally, there will be a watch party for the “41 on 41” documentary.
“The goal of hosting these events is to celebrate that [the Bush School has] been going strong for 25 years and, throughout, we’ve been helping students engage with the broader policy and public management community,” professor and head of the Public Service Administration Department Lori Taylor said.
Samuel
As the 12th Man gathered into Kyle Field Saturday morning for the first football game of the season, nobody expected the game to be finished six hours later in a mostly empty stadium. Texas A&M opened its 2022 football season against Sam Houston State on Sept. 3. Current and former students and other Aggie fans packed into Kyle Field to watch the long-awaited game and to see last year’s No. 1 recruiting class snap into action on theHowever,field. a lightning delay shortly after halftime sent many fans hurrying home or to their nearby tailgate tents to seek shelter from the storms. Despite this, in the spirit of the 12th Man, some students remained at Kyle Field, waiting out the storms until the game resumed again at 4 p.m. Psychology sophomore Darby Sanders said she watched people stay for 30 minutes to an hour after the delay was announced, who then left as it started to heavily rain. “As more people started leaving and as it started raining on Kyle Field, people started trying to entertain themselves,” Sanders said. “There were about three separate groups of people leading yells, and I could just see across the stadium two people were standing and waving their towels the whole time. I was really impressed by them because they stopped eventually, but they went on for at least an hour.” The reason Sanders said she decided to stay through the full game was because, growing up as an Aggie, she was taught to never leave A&M games early. “I’ve gone to a few Texas A&M football games before I actually started going here, and even when it was like my parents with their three kids all under the age of 13, we didn’t leave those games early,” Sanders said. “You don’t leave Aggie football early. I was planning to stay until they kicked me out.” Sanders said during the second half of the game she was impressed with the consistent loud sounds of Kyle Field. “After the delay, I didn’t want to get rained on, so I stayed up in the third deck,” Sanders said. “I wasn’t surrounded by everyone yelling, but I could still hear the volume level. It wasn’t anything close to what it normally is, but I definitely thought more people had left. I couldn’t see the first deck below me, but I’m assuming it was still pretty full because it was loud. I was really impressed by the amount of people that had stayed or come back.” Economics senior Walker Robison said his game day experience was overall great, even though there was initially unpredictability after the lightning delay was called, continued weather updates gave them hope.
Aggies take on App State after chewing up Bearkats
Despite three hour rain delay, 12th Man stayed in Kyle Field, passing time during storm The Aggies saw off Varsity’s horns in the rain after defeating Sam Houston State following a lengthy weather delay at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022.
HappyBushBirthday,School
PERSPECTIVE ON A5
6 HOURS & 3 MINUTES OF AGGIE FOOTBALL
Host
“In the world of public service, the Bush School has a reputation, and I think a lot of people want to be connected to it in some exterior of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on Sept. 5, 2022.
Celebrating a quarter-century of higher education WEATHER DELAY ON PG. A4 Students speak out against MSC early locationvotingchange AGGIE PARK ON PG. A3 BUSH SCHOOL ON PG. A2
By Kathryn Miller @KathrynMiller0
Kyle McClenagan @KMccleanagan Transportation services will not be provided for early voting
A2The Battalion | 9.8.22NEWS way, whether that’s to come and partici pate in our events,” Small said. “Once people hear the school name, I think it carries a little bit of cachet, and people want to be affiliated withTheit.”Bush School recently opened a loca tion in Washington, D.C., in January and held a 25th anniversary celebration there in April, featuring appearances from George’s son Jeb Bush and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy“ThePelosi.school is fairly young, we’re only 25 years old,” Small said. “But in that amount of time, we have had incredible growth. The goal of our celebration was to celebrate that success and also to connect younger students or new students coming in who may not have had a chance to interact with President [George] Bush, to introduce them to him through his colleagues and most important to introduce them to his idea that public service is a noble calling.” The Bush School opened in 1997 as part of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Complex.“Hechose us,” Small said. “When [Bush] was looking for a place to put his Presidential Library, he could have put it anywhere and to put it on the grounds of a public state uni versity was somewhat unusual. Texas A&M lobbied to get the Presidential Library on our campus and start this school, and he said he just loved Texas A&M.” After the school opened, Bush and his wife, Barbara Bush, frequented campus, staying at an apartment on campus and sat in on classes. “He was very, very engaged with the stu dents,” Small said. “You’re sitting there tak ing notes, and suddenly the president walks in. People who weren’t connected to him and who remember those stories are just sort of blownBarbaraaway.”Bush died in April of 2018 and George died in November of 2018. Both of them are buried on campus in the gardens be hind the Bush Library. “The thing that makes the Bush School so special is when we look at the legacy of Pres ident H.W. Bush, it really fits into everything that we do at Texas A&M,” Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Frank Ashley said. “When we look at the Aggie Core Values, one of the Core Values is Selfless Service, and President Bush himself said that public service is a noble calling. When you look at the Self less Service plus the public service, this is that ideal place to continue his legacy developing publicGraduateservants.”student Stockton Duvall will re ceive a master’s of international affairs in the spring and currently works as the chief ambas sador for the Ambassadors Council. “You’re constantly surrounded by people whose goal isn’t just to go make more mon ey and a better life for themselves, but you’re surrounded by people that want to work for the government and ways that they can better benefit those around them,” Duvall said. “It’s really just a good community to be a part of, and it’s the legacy President Bush wanted, and it’s something that we get to continue.” George once said public service is a noble calling, which is a statement the Bush School continues to follow. “The school prides itself on being the pres idential college and being a part of the Texas A&M family and brand,” Small said. “[Pres ident M. Katherine] Banks gave a TV inter view, and she [said]at one point, ‘The Bush School should be the crown jewel of Texas A&M.’ That’s a challenge we’re ready to ac cept. Our students are the future of the na tion’s leaders. Our graduates will go out and change the world.” All events except for the “Ride Home” ceremony will be open to all students and streamed on Facebook Live. The event sched ule and sign ups can be found at bush.tamu. edu.
The MSC was not selected as a location for early voting this election cycle. In order to vote early, students will need to walk to the College Station City Hall.
FILE
Cade Gossett — THE BATTALION
The statue of former U.S. president George H. W. Bush outside the Bush School of Government and Public Service on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. and go to class.” Samuel said due to the time commitment of standing in line, she was the only one of her friends who was able to vote. “Keep in mind this was a presidential elec tion year,” Samuel said. “Can you imagine how much longer students have to wait now? To remove the MSC as an early voting loca tion will make it harder to vote and will result in lower voter turnout. … Invest in your de mocracy, reinstate the MSC as an early voting location in November 2022.” Social Media Director of Texas Aggie Dem ocrats Dianne Word said before the meeting, a coalition of concerned students had organized and signed up to speak to the court. “[Aggie Democrats] joined a coalition that is actively working to try and reverse the de cision and get the MSC moved back to an early voting location,” Word 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.” Even though the new early voting location of city hall is across the street from campus, the amount of time needed to walk from the MSC to the city hall and back across Texas Avenue would be unmanageable for many students with busy schedules, and Word said A&M Transportation Services should offer to help transport students. “That’s the whole reason why this is such a big deal and why voting at the MSC is such a necessity for students,” Word said. “Because a lot of us can’t afford to pay for gas right now. We can’t afford [the time] to walk, we don’t haveDebbiecars.” Lollar, the executive director of Transportation Services, said in an email to The Battalion that as of August they did not have a plan to offer any new or changed bus routes to facilitate student travel to and from the city hall during early voting. “Early voting at College Station City Hall includes a free parking option similar to what was offered when early voting was in the [MSC],” the email read. “Students and em ployees who do not want to drive to city hall might consider riding bus Route 12 [Reveil le], riding a Veo pedal or e-bike or walking.” While bus Route 12 does pass nearby the new city hall, it does not have any official stops at the location along its route, according to the Transportation Services website. Lollar also added that organizations can sponsor a bus to charter students to and from the polling place.Organizations wanting to sponsor such a charter however will have to pay per hour, per bus, the Transportation Services Commu nications Manager Tad Fifer said in a follow up “Theemail. cost associated with sponsoring a charter bus for early voting would be $127 per hour with a required two hour minimum,” Fifer said.
MSC VOTING CONTINUED BUSH SCHOOL CONTINUED
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A3The Battalion | 9.8.22NEWS
The A&M bookstore supplies students with a personalized cart of anticipated supplies. This allows many students to see all their needed textbooks in one place, which can relieve some stress, Sakura said. “The [A&M] bookstore allows you to see what textbook is required for a class, so it has been really easy to navigate and see what are the required materials and what are the optional materials instead of having to go through all the class syllabus es,” Sakura Engineeringsaid.sophomore Gabe Ross said his experience was pretty straight forward because of the book guides provided by the “Youstore.can just go to the [A&M bookstore] website and see all the needed books for the classes you are in by just searching up the class section and number,” Ross said. Despite this, Ross, along with other students, have experi enced book backorders directly before assignment due dates. “Actually getting the textbook is the most difficult part of ordering through the school bookstore,” Ross said. “The fact that there are not enough of a certain book, the high prices of the books and the worry of having to return the book makes the bookstore unappealing to me.” Regardless of the ease locating the ISBN number of each required book, the bookstore has its shortcomings during pick up, Sakura said.
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Textbook
With the high demand at the beginning of the semester, the Texas A&M bookstore has been unable to complete all student orders. But the low stock of the bookstore is not the only reason students chose to look elsewhere for their ma terials.The bookstore located in the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, is experiencing an exceptionally high volume of orders — causing many students to have their books on backorder. Students are required to purchase certain books for classes in a timely manner but are unable to find a copy of the book required at the university’s bookstore. Despite the low stock and high demands, business freshman Selina Sakura said the A&M bookstore provides an ease for students to get their material.
In
“The one textbook that I needed for my [Fundamentals of Information Systems] class was not available at the bookstore despite me trying to order it a couple days early so that I could have it in time for my first assignment,” Sakura said. “The bookstore never told me an exact time on when I would be receiving the textbook which is one con for the bookstore.”
Michaela Rush, Editor-in-Chief THE BATTALION is published Thursdays during the 2022 fall semester (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center.
AGGIE PARK CONTINUED
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“I feel like the local bookstore rigs the system because of the prices of their books,” Ross said. “When I look on Amazon, the book is more than likely half the price of the textbook at Barnes & Noble. People should lean toward Amazon first to find their Despitetextbooks.”manyconcerns from students, the university book store was not timely to fix any issues or send notifications of what to do if a student’s book was placed on backorder.
Samuel Falade — THE BATTALION
A student looks for textbooks in the Barnes & Noble Bookstore at Texas A&M located in the MSC on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022.
Higher prices, lower inventory cause stressful beginning to fall semester the season. The park offered free and paid reserved tailgating space and tailgaters ob tained the spots through a virtual rush res ervation process, unlike the in-person land rush process that still occurs at other tailgating spots, like outside of Reed Arena. Another upcoming event featuring Aggie Park will be Ring Day this Sept. 23. Students will wait in Aggie Park’s Pillar Lawn area before entering the Clayton Williams Jr. Alumni Center to pick up their ring and various photo stations will be set up around Aggie Park for the new ring-bearers as well as a dedicated food truck alley, which will serve hungry guests per the Association of Former Students. a bind: shortage
In regard to students’ books being placed on backorder, students like Sakura have begun to look toward e-books as their next option.
“I prefer an e-book because it is easier to transport compared to a heavy physical copy, so I do not mind the alternative of finding my material elsewhere,” Sakura said. The flexibility of an e-book makes students, like Ross, pre fer it over a physical copy. “Personally, I would choose an e-book over a physical book, mainly because I can usually find e-books for a cheaper price than a hand held copy, and sometimes I can even find an e-book for free online,” Ross said. “E-books are also easier because you can [control-f] and search a needed topic in a short amount of time instead of having to look through every page for a certain fact.” Lower prices of an e-book is also appealing to students like Sakura when compared to the high prices of the bookstore. “The prices for the [A&M] bookstore are definitely more expensive, which deters me from trying to buy a book from the [A&M] bookstore,” Sakura said. “This usually requires me to search other resources and websites to see if they have the textbook I need at an affordable price.”
The high prices of the A&M bookstore caused many stu dents to find their material on Amazon, Chegg and straight from the publisher in the form of a digital copy. Ross said they were able to find a needed textbook for a reduced price on Amazon compared to the university bookstore.
By Jamie Whitley @jamie_whitley_
“The only email I was sent from the bookstore was the no tification that the book was on backorder,” Sakura said. “The bookstore never followed up on this notification to inform me when the textbook would be available, no specific time on when I would receive the material needed for me to succeed in my Theclasses.”poorcommunication between the bookstore and stu dents is upsetting for many students that are waiting on their textbook to complete their tasks. The bookstore should have enough books for the students, as the school knows the num ber of professors and maximum number of students per class, as well the readings each professor is requiring so there should be no reason that there is a low supply of books, Ross said. “I showed up to class and they gave me the name and ISBN of the book I needed,” Ross said. “When I went to order it from the bookstore there were not enough copies of the book. … I do not agree that when I order a book I have to wait two weeks for it to come in, but the essay I need to write over the first few chapters is due in three weeks, which does not give me enough time to be fully prepared.” At the time of publication, the Texas A&M Bookstore was unavailable to comment on student concerns.
Kyle McClenagan Managing Editor Caroline Wilburn, News Editor Kenzie Finch, Asst. News Editor Cameron Johnson, Photo Chief Ishika Samant, Asst. Photo Chief & Social Media Editor Kathryn Miller, Life & Arts Editor Ruben Hernandez, Asst. L&A Editor
Cameron Johnson — THE BATTALION
CONTINUED
Robert O’Brien— THE BATTALION
“It was a little uncertain. There were lots of people leaving which I can understand,” Robison said. “We thought, ‘The weather can't last forever, so we'll stick it out and they'll tell us something if there's no end in sight.’ They kept us updated pretty regularly, and the staff was pretty helpful and nobody was annoyed if you're asking too much about the weather.” The energy noticeably picked back up in Kyle Field once the game started to resume, Robison said. “The vibe definitely increased once they gave us the clearance to enter the stands,” Robison said. “The players started warming up, and it was a little disappointing seeing how many people left, but I knew that it would still be a good experience considering where we were sitting and all the great people that were still there showing their support and energy.” Economics junior Will Kohmuench is a member of the organization Team 12 and was tasked with registration and floating for the Lettermen’s Association, a club for former A&M athletes, during the game. Kohmuench said he stayed at Kyle Field during the lightning duty to fulfill his duties.“At halftime, we got our first rain delay announcement. We're like okay, this is fine,” Kohmuench said. “But then one of my friends I was working with quickly pointed out that when there's one lightning strike, there's never just one quickly followed in Kohmuenchsuccession.”saiditwas an interesting situation dealing with Lettermen’s Association members cooped up during the delay “We also had a lot of people try to get inside the Letterman's Club that weren't on the list on the so we felt really bad turning away a lot of people not able to give them shelter and air conditioning,” Kohmuench said. “Overall, it was three hours of waiting and hoping and praying that the game would start again because everyone who was working that game with me was there for six or seven hours at thatKohmuenchpoint.” said after the game resumed there was an empty vibe in Kyle Field, but the everyone still in attendance, who Kohmuench said were probably in the top 10% of the 12th Man, were pushing the Aggies more than ever. “Everybody was at the front of all their respective sections. There were some people in the third deck … which was kind of funny,” Kohmuench said. “We were all just supporting our Aggies but being like, ‘Hey, keep the foot on the throat — keep the gas pedal down. Let's just let's finish this thing beat the hell out of Sam Houston and let's go home.’”
The Battalion | 9.8.22L&A A4 WEATHER DELAY
The official class portraits as they hang in an office of the Division of Student Affairs. Charis Adkins— THE BATTALION
Opinion:
Senior photographer Robert O’Brien provides an inside look into the infamous origin of Texas A&M’s worst class photo The tragedy of the Class of 2024 photo
You see, the thing about people who don’t know how to use Photoshop, is they don’t know what the limits of Photoshop are. They think anything is possible, no matter who is using it or the time restraints applied. As it would happen, I was the only person there who knew how to use Photoshop, but I’m a photographer. I occasionally use it to edit my own photos and I had never taken a photo that ill-conceived before. But hey, I didn’t work for them, I just offered to help, so it wouldn’t be my problem,Normally,right?class photos would be taken far away from the students and about 100 feet in the air, generally from the second or third deck of Kyle Field. In this in stance, the person with the camera — I don’t want to insult my profession by calling them a photographer — was only on the second floor of what is essen tially just a big lobby. When the person operating the camera from the Division of Student Affairs decided to take out a camera and frame-up, they finally realized how screwed they were. By the time the ‘2’ was finally assembled, it appeared as a giant mass of people from theIfbalcony.youwere there, you might remem ber that they got everyone into the ‘2’ and then there was a really long wait. That was because everyone was trying to figure out what camera they could even take the picture with. The student lead ers upstairs were taking out their iPhones and setting them on 0.5 zoom to see if that would work. Ultimately though, the camera operator from the Vice President of Student Affairs office looked through their camera bag again and found a Go Pro and a selfie stick. In this dark room with terrible light ing, this is what they decide to take the photos on. Not with a DSLR camera that has the capability to gather more light through a wider lens with control over more settings through its more sophisticated sensor, but with a GoPro HERONaturally,8. someone reached up with the selfie stick and accompanying GoPro to take the picture. They decided it was goodTheyenough.thenrearranged everyone into the ‘4,’ and I think someone gave a speech. I don’t really remember, I re alized what a disaster this situation was going to be and tried to remove myself from it so that I would be free to laugh about it in the morning. But, just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. The same woman from the Department of Student Affairs came up to me one final time. She told me that their graphic design/ post-production specialist was on mater nity leave and they will be unable to edit the photo. So unless someone stepped up to edit the photo tonight, the Class of 2024 would be deprived of their photo once again. There was, apparently, only one person that could put the photo together tonight. IMe.wish I would’ve done the smart thing and just said no. I wish I would’ve just walked away. But no, I said, “Sure, I can give it a try.” I don’t know why I agreed to this. More importantly, I don’t know why they thought I could do it. But most importantly, I don’t know why they de cided to use the absolutely terrible photo I slapped together at 2 a.m. Especially since I know they went to bed after they got home from taking the photo and didn’t respond to the email I sent them until 10 a.m. the following morning. This means that even with a good night’s sleep, they still decided to useSo,it. to the Class of 2024, I will give you what you are owed from the people who failed to put this event together correctly in the first place, an apology: I am sorry that this happened to you. I am sorry that your first year of school was a COVID-19 year, and I am sorry that your class photo looks like shit. I tried my best, but it’s not what it should’ve been, and it’s not what y’all deserve. And if it makes you feel any better, they didn’t pay me anything for it. I hope there are no hard feelings. I didn’t take the photo, I only tried to make it a little less terrible, but unfor tunately, I couldn’t do it. If anything, I think I made it worse, and I am really disappointed in myself for not being able to rescue the photo from disaster. How ever, what I’m most disappointed in is that the photo has been wiped from any website or social media profile officially affiliated with Texas A&M. So, to the powers that be, until you let the Class of 2024 retake their class photo,The Battal ion will serve as the home for the only actual photo of the Class of 2024.
Author’s note: I’m telling this story because I think with the passage of time, it’s only gotten funnier. I’m not naming any names, implying that anyone is bad at their jobs or assigning blame. The past is the past and everyone involved at least appeared to be trying their best. It was a really tough situation and the photo should’ve just been rescheduled. Everyone was super stressed and the whole thing was just bad. As many of you know, the Class of 2026 recently took their class photo on Kyle Field. Almost as soon as it was posted, comparisons were immediately drawn to the Class of 2024 photo, taken in August 2021. At first, I had a laugh and went to search for the photo online, and to my great surprise, the only place I could find it was on a change.org petition and a Reddit post linking to the petition. It would seem that Texas A&M is as ashamed as I am of the monstrosity that we But,That’screated.right.‘We.’asamemberof A&M’s paper of record, I feel a disaster as infamous as the Class of 2024 photo should be cemented in history. So, I am breaking my silence. I am a whistleblower, and it’s time the truth came out. Twelve months ago, I was preparing for my very first coverage assignment as a photographer for The Battalion. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. I brought my little camera — a kit Nikon D5500, something your high school yearbook probably had — but I was prepared to take photos of sopho mores who, being admitted in the midst of a global pandemic, had been deprived of their class photo as fish the year be fore. I would just take a few photos of smiling students as they engaged in a de cades-old Aggie tradition — a relatively easyButassignment.boywasI wrong. I was excited. I had never been on the track of Kyle Field, and since I went to Texas A&M Universty at Galveston my freshman year, I’m not actually in my class photo. Plus, if you’ve never worn a media credential before, you should really try it, it makes you feel cool. All in all, my night was going pretty well. Shortly after entering Kyle Field from the southeast tunnel, before staff were supposed to let the sophomores in, it began to rain. So, with camera equip ment in hand and the urge to stay dry, I sat down inside the tunnel the Corps of Cadets enters through for Midnight Yell and just started looking at my phone. Some time passed before the groundskeepers decided the precious Latitude 36 Bermudagrass of Kyle Field, the traditional venue for the class photo, had become too wet to walk across. If things went ahead as planned, the grass would be ruined by the thousands of students walking on and off to take the photo, and kickoff was just a few days away. It was an understandable concern, and I can’t really be mad at them for trying to do their job. The writers I was with decided to interview and photograph students who, despite the rain, remained just outside the stadium, refusing to abandon hope that the photo will happen that night. But before we even exited the tunnel, someone from Class Councils announced that the photo would be taken inside the Hall of Champions. I’d never been there before, but I thought to myself, “You know what, it’s still Kyle Field, surely there is enough room inside for everyone. The photo might look a little bit different, but it’ll still turn out alright.” So, we walked over to the Hall of Champions and were immediately greeted by stressed-out members of Student Government and Class Councils, desperately trying to figure out exactly how they were going to fit all of the sophomores in the center of the room. I felt bad, but that wasn’t my responsibil ity. I was there as a photojournalist, so I headed toward the elevator to reach the balcony so I could get a shot of students waiting.Itook a few photos before I was approached by someone from Marketing and Communications for the Division of Student Affairs, who proceeded to ask me what the widest lens I had in my bag was. Once I responded, she asked to use it, neglecting to ask me what brand it was to see if it was even compatible with their camera. It wasn’t. I had a Nikon camera, and they were using Canon equipment.Thisshould have been my first red flag.Iwalked away and saw that the stu dent organizers were beginning to con struct just a ‘2’ composed of sophomores in the center of the Hall of Champions. I couldn’t help but think that they should be making both numbers, just like every other class photo. I went back to the event organizers, mostly students from a variety of organizations and a handful of professional staff from the university, and asked them, “Hey, what’s the plan?” They told me that they were going to make a ‘2’ first and then a ‘4’ in the same spot afterward. Two separate numbers from two separate photos, which they intended to stitch together in Photoshop after-the-fact.Now,intheir defense, the class photos in Kyle Field take hours of planning and extreme precision and coordination from both the person operating the camera up high and the people marking it out on the field below. That plan was scrapped and they had to come up with a new plan in about 45 minutes. Everyone was trying their best, but it was a pretty difficult task. Regardless, they were determined to get a photo tonight, no matter what. This should have been my second red flag.It was around this time that I felt bad for everyone involved and naively offered to help. I tried to explain that if they were seeking to create a composite photo — like how most high school class photos are taken, where multiple shots of different sections of the crowd are stitched together to create a panorama in Photoshop — they needed to put the ‘2’ on one side of the room and a ‘4’ on the other. Most importantly, the camera needs to stay relatively still, preferably on a tripod.
Robert O’Brien is a political science se nior, design editor & senior photographer for The Battalion.
By Robert O’Brien @Bob4Batt
Editor’s note: This story originally ap peared online on Aug. 28, 2022.
The photo that was supposed to become the official class portrait for the Class of 2024 FILE
A5The Battalion | 9.8.22OPINION
A hypothetical: Meet John and Cameron. Both grew up together and attended the same high school. Both made similarly high grades. Both dreamt of going to college. The difference between them? John was raised in a low-income household where he had to help pay to keep the lights on and food on the table. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to go to college without signing on to tens of thousands of dollars of student debt, he decided to go to the local trade school and learn to weld. John works hard and earns good money, but his college aspirations are longOngone.theother hand, Cameron sees how fun and exciting college is and he knows there is no way he could miss out. He applied to a four-year university and decided to finance his adventure primarily through federal loans. Eventually, he graduated and landed a lucra tive job as an accountant in a big city firm. However, he still has $25,000 in student loan debt.Under President Joe Biden’s student loan program, Cameron will receive a significant portion of his loans paid off. For John? He gets the middle finger from Uncle Sam. Recently, President Biden announced a plan to dismiss up to $20,000 of student loan debt to borrowers making less than $125,000. While the plan is being touted as a compas sionate step toward alleviating the pain caused by student loan debt, it’s a slap in the face to working-class people. Every single person that never went to col lege — the plumber, construction worker, janitor and electrician — is now on the hook for student loans they never signed off on and didn’t get to enjoy the benefits. For the stu dents who worked through college and paid off all their loans, you have the reward of being forced to donate to your less financially savvy peers. If President Biden wants to help lower and middle-class people, it is absurd to tar get college graduates. Based on every metric, graduates are better off than those that didn’t attend college. Degree holders have a lower unemployment rate and make significantly more money than people who don’t. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, graduates with a bachelor’s degree earn about $1,305 per week, while people with only a highschool diploma make about $800. Transferring the costs of college tuition to everyday Americans is a bailout for the rich at the expense of the poor. The moral argument against President Biden’s student bailout is simple: borrowers have an obligation to pay their debts. If I go to Walmart and purchase 100 Texas A&M shirts, I cannot force anyone else to pay my bill, no matter how red ass my purchase is. By enrolling in a university, you are consenting to the necessary expenses. No one forced you to attend. No one made you apply for a loan. In every other aspect of life, this is common knowledge. It is only privileged graduates that wail about the supposed ‘unfairness’ of it all.Iwon’t deny that college is incredibly ex pensive, but the solution isn’t merely throw ing money at the problem and praying it goes away. The president’s plan does nothing to address the underlying problems which fuel rising tuition costs, such as universities’ ev er-expanding bureaucracy and irresponsible government subsidies that incentivize higher tuition costs. Instead, it’s a shot in the dark so the administration can say, ‘At least we’re doing something,’ even if that ‘something’ is nothing at all. Should a fast-food worker be forced to pay the college tuition fee of a doctor or engi neer?For President Biden, the answer is yes. But for the rest of America, I have a feeling the answer is, ‘Of course not. Are you insane?’ Ryan Lindner is a political science sophomore and opinion writer for The Battalion.
By Ana Sofia Sloane @anasofia_sloane Opinion writer Ana Sofia Sloane argues that debt relief offers solace, progress
Nearly $2 trillion. As of 2022, $1.75 trillion is the amount of money that 45 million current and for mer students owe in federal and private loans. Student debt has increased exponentially over the past few decades — rising by 144% since 2007 — rapidly becoming an urgent crisis in America. Not only are these numbers alarm ing, but they also beg an important question: What is being done to help? In response, President Joe Biden has re leased a three-part student debt relief plan aimed to alleviate the burden of college costs on lower-income individuals through measures such as debt cancellation, cutting monthly repayments in half and improving current loan programs. Though the initiative certainly seems to be a progressive step in the right direction, not all Americans agree. Biden’s plan has sparked great debate and controversy, with people raising concerns surrounding its fairness and impact on the economy. Many critics fear tax money will fund the tuition of upper-middle class college students. However, it is estimated nearly 90% of relief funds will go towards individuals earning less than $75,000, with the largest amount of debt cancellation possible reserved for Pell Grant recipients.Withthese numbers in mind, it seems un likely our hard-earned taxpayer dollars will finance some trust-fund baby’s journey to Wall Street. Instead, Biden’s plan will give relief to the Americans who need it most: lower-income families and individuals who are struggling to make ends meet due to the skyrocketing price of college attendance. Nevertheless, I understand people don’t want to pay for someone else’s college ex penses. But why does tax money always be come a taboo subject when it’s time to fund education?
Biden’sHead-to-head:studentloan
Argument for: A generation hopelessly indebted
Argument against: ‘Middle finger from Uncle Sam’
ment in schools and learning should be a top priority.Unfortunately, hypocritical politicians and news outlets intend on making the exact opposite seem true. Worthwhile federal ex penditures are frequently distorted by politi cal agendas, and higher education often falls victim on this battleground of interests. Another popular point of contention is costliness. Biden’s student debt cancellation plan is estimated to cost anywhere from $440 billion to $600 billion over the next ten years — an undeniably hefty sum. However, when compared to other government spending, such as the $754 billion spent on the military in 2021 and the $829 billion spent on Medi care in 2020, it doesn’t seem so outrageous. If these massive expenditures have yet to tank the economy and cause hyperinflation, there is no reason loan forgiveness — which is a fraction of the size — should either. The list of grievances goes on, but I won’t bore you with all my counterarguments. To put it simply, Biden’s plan is progress in the right direction, something which this coun try has seen far too little of since the student debt crisis emerged in the 1980s. Whenever I first learned about Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, I felt a spark of hope. Already thousands of dollars in debt as a lower-middle income sophomore, the $10,000 in relief I’m eligible to receive could cover half of the loans I’ll owe by graduation. This makes a world of difference. For myself and millions of students in similar or worse circumstances, Biden’s plan promises some freedom. This impact is what everyone needs to realize when critics try to rip loan forgiveness to shreds. Though politics, battling interests and close-mindedness all conflict over the impact and purpose of Biden’s initiative, the reality is this: It will help those in need.
Taxes are the means through which governments pay for every public service — from highways to the military. No one bats an eye at these costs, so why is education any different? If anything, invest
By Ryan Lindner @RyanLindner12 Opinion writer Ryan Lindner argues plan leaves working-class to pay t price Opinion writers Ana Sofia Sloane and Ryan Lindner discuss dueling opinions on President Joe Biden’s loan forgiveness program. Robert O’Brien— THE BATTALION
OPINIONOPINION
A6The Battalion | 9.8.22OPINION
debt relief plan
Ana Sofia Sloane is a political science sopho more and opinion writer for The Battalion.
Aggies look to level App State in Week 2
A&M hopes to correct offensive stumbles in its second game
Brad Bennett @Brad_Bennett13
A week after putting forth an offensive performance deemed underwhelming by many, the Texas A&M football team will get a chance to showcase its scoring ability against an Appalachian State defense that’s also looking to prove doubters wrong. The Aggies will take on the Mountaineers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 10 in a 2:30 p.m. contest. The maroon and white opened the 2022 season with a 31-0 victory over Sam Houston State last week, while Appalachian State lost a 63-61 thriller to North Carolina. The Mountaineers scored 40 points in the fourth quarter alone, but failed to convert on a game-tying 2-point conversion with eight secondsWhileleft.ashutout win is all well and good, many fans were left disappointed by the mere 31 points put up by the A&M offense on Saturday. It came as a surprise to many that junior running back Devon Achane, who doubles as a track athlete and is one of the fastest players in college football, rushed for only 42 yards on 18 carries with a 1-yard touchdown run. “[We] didn’t get Achane going,” Fisher said after Saturday’s game. “[It’s] not his fault. What we didn’t get was some blocking, [we need to] do a little bit better up front [on the
By Luke White @lukewhite03
Robert O’Brien— THE BATTALION OFFENSE VS DEFENSE ON PG. B3 DEFENSE VS. OFFENSE ON PG. B3 Sophomore DL Shemar Turner (5) sacks Sam Houston State QB Jordan Yates (13) during the Aggies’ game against Sam Houston State at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022.
It would be easy for 1-0, No. 6 Texas A&M to overlook the matchup on Saturday, Sept. 10 against 0-1 Appalachian State. However, A&M would be smart to avoid this line of thinking because App State has pulled off some incredible upsets before. Just ask the University of coming off a 31-0 shutout victory against Sam Houston State. Despite a threeand-a-half hour rain delay, A&M was able to put together a well-rounded performance worthy of its top-10 ranking. Last week, App State nearly pulled off another Power-Five win against the University of North Carolina in front of the Mountaineers home fans behind a 40-point fourth quarter. A failed 2-point conversion at the end of the game gave UNC the 63-61 win. Statistically, redshirt senior Chase Brice led the way offensively with six touchdown passes to six different receivers. Brice ended up winning Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. Sophomore running back Nate Noel chipped in a couple of rushing touchdowns alongside 116 rushing yards. Defensively, the Mountaineer defense gave up 567 total yards and was particularly gashed through theAppair. State coach Shawn Clark said going up against a well-balanced and talented A&M team will be a difficult task on Saturday. “A&M recruits at the highest level in college sports,” Clark said. “Coach [Jimbo] Fisher has done an outstanding job over the last three or four years he’s been there. They have an exceptional offense [and] defense. Schematically, they [put] you in a lot of tough situations on both [sides of the ball],” However, Clark said the Mountaineers can’t wait to play the Aggies on national television.“We have our work cut out for us, but our guys are excited to go down to College Station,” Clark said. “We’re on ESPN for the second week in a row, [and] our kids are looking forward to it.” Fisher said the matchup against App State, although a non-conference opponent, should not be taken lightly. “[App State] can play in any league,” Fisher said to 12thMan.com. “They have great players. They’ve gotten a few transfers in but have recruited well. They believe [and] have a culture there. I’m gonna tell you, this is an excellent, excellent football team that can play on all sides of the ball.” Fending off App State’s high-powered offense, Fisher said A&M’s defense will need to stay within its schematic role to keep the play-action passing game at bay. “[Our defense has] to be disciplined in [our] gaps,” Fisher said. “You can’t get cut off on the backside of those stretches. You’ve got to play your gaps on the front side, and you’ve got to keep great eye discipline because [App State play-actions] off of it very well. They [bootleg], they naked [bootleg, but] they’re [also a] great [shotgun] team. They get the ball down the field, and you have to respect the run, because when you get that running game going, it opens up so many different avenues of your Sophomoreoffense.”defensive back Jardin Gilbert is confident A&M’s defense will be able to build off of its great week one performance. “[Our defense] preach[es] that we are family,” Gilbert said. “We’ve got each other’s back [and] coach Durkin does a good job of making sure that we don’t forget we are a brotherhood. His schemes help us be in the right place at the right time. I think [last week was] definitely a [great] tone setter for the season.” Kickoff at Kyle Field for Saturday’s game is set for 2:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.
Aggies kick off against App State at Kyle Field at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10 Senior WR Ainias Smith (0) leaps to complete a pass thrown by sophomore QB Haynes King (13) during a game A&M versus Sam Houston State at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. Robert O’Brien— THE BATTALION
Robert O’Brien— THE BATTALION
By Grant Gaspard @grant_gaspard
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On Feb. 21, 2022, Appalachian State said goodbye to now-Miami quarterback coach Frank Ponce and hello to ex-Central Michigan offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay. For the Chippewas, Barbay coached the country’s leading rusher in sophomore Lew Nichols III and led a high-powered offense that averaged 445.4 yards per game and 32.3 points per game. Now, he has full command over an offense with an ex-Power Five quarterback at the forefront and two Preseason All-Sun Belt running backs. Graduate transfer Chase Brice is back in command as the field general for the Mountaineers after slinging the ball for 3,337 yards on 242 completions and securing 27 touchdown passes in the 2021 season. This threestar quarterback began his collegiate career as a backup to now Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawerence for two years at Clemson before transferring to Duke University for the 2020 season.Now, Brice is back at the helm for his last season at App State in hopes of leading the Mountaineers to another successful season after finishing last year 10-4 overall, 7-1 in the Sun Belt Conference. In the Week 1 showdown against head coach Mac Brown’s Tar Heels, Brice put-
Defense has high ground
Freshman WR Evan Stewart (1) completes a pass from sophomore QB Haynes King (13) during the Aggies’ game against Sam Houston State at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022.
A&M defense seeks to topple the Mountaineers’ offense
A&M offense summits
Michigan.A&Mis
Luca Yaquinto — THE BATTALION
By Kaci Williams @kaciwilliams17 Aggressive plays end in victory at Reed for the Aggies OH Logan Lednicky (9) celebrates an ace during the Aggies’ game against Sam Houston State at Reed Arena on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022.
Coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn addressed A&M’s scrappy, competitive play throughout the game. “I think at one point we were probably hitting better out of system,” Kuhn said. “That’s being patient, but that’s also trusting each other. It’s just execution, but it’s the trust that they’re building as we compete and the competitive energy that I talk about with this group.”
A&M will return to play the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at home on Friday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m.
Volleyball beats Bearkats back home
Bowser talked more about the team’s energy and the game dynamic.“Ithink our out-of-system play was just amazing,” Bowser said. “I think we kept a lot of balls in play which is really good just to keep the plays going.” Lednicky answered to her team’s ability to perform under a quick game turnaround after their long weekend in Fort Worth.“This weekend was pretty long with three big matches,” Lednicky said. “I think we could have come a little bit more locked in, but I think that trust builds over time with each other. As SEC play starts, it’s only going to get better from here.”
A&M was powerful in this match with 51 total kills, led by 18 from Lednicky, 13 from Mueth and 10 from Bowser.
The Aggies fell to the pressure, landing in a 7-point hole. Both teams continued to fight aggressively to a 28-point tie. A&M won the third and final set 30-28 and secured the game win over SHSU.
Freshman
Texas A&M volleyball stayed home this week at Reed Arena for a matchup against Sam Houston State University on Tuesday, Sept. 6, following an undefeated tournament win at the Fight in the Fort Invitational hosted by TCU. A&M went head-to-head against SHSU for the first time as a program since 2017. Team energy was high after a perfect 3-0 weekend. The match was an aggressive battle by both teams, with a final Aggie win in three trying sets. A&M performed under the pressure and had an overall positive outlook on the game dynamic as conference play quickly approaches. The first set started with a 2-point lead by the Bearkats. A&M quickly gained momentum after a big hit by freshman opposite hitter Logan Lednicky. Lednicky was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday, Sept. 5, and her energy was visible throughout the entirety of the match. Both teams continued to battle to a 20-all score with no signs of defeat shown by either squad. A kill by Lednicky secured the 24-22 lead, and only one point was needed to win the first set. SHSU quickly called its final timeout of the set. A&M won 28-26, but not without a stamina test by both teams. The Aggies were strong at the net this set with 21 total kills, led by eight from Lednicky and four from redshirt junior middle blocker Madison Bowser. The play was much more scrappy in the second set, and after a long rally, graduate outside hitter Caroline Meuth put down the first kill of the set. The Aggies continued to play powerfully to a 13-8 lead. Sam Houston called its final timeout early in the match and needed a side out to cut off the A&M run. The maroon and white wasted no time in this set and finished quickly with a 25-14 win. The Aggies and Bearkats continued their scrappy play in the deciding set to a 10-all score. After a big dig by junior libero Lauren Hogan, A&M went into a media timeout with elevated energy. There were big hits on both sides of the net, and the match win was in sight for A&M with a 21-16 lead.
B2The Battalion | 9.8.22SPORTS ey’re more than a good pair of boots. Looking for breathable footwear to work all day in and go two-stepping afterward? Look elsewhere. These handcrafted boots weren’t made for walking so much as they were for marching. But for the cadets who wear them around campus, they represent years spent working hard, learning to lead and building friendships that last a lifetime. It’s always possible to tell when an Aggie just got their senior boots—no one stands taller. Through scholarships,impactfulTexas A&M Foundation donors support thousands of Texas A&M University students as they march into their careers. Learn how you can help build a brighter future for Aggies today and tomorrow at txamfoundation.com. Senior Boot Bag Price Includes Embroidered Logo and Name (More logos available) Shop for Little Aggies and Much etsy.com/shop/aggiesandbowsMorebyCharlotte,Reveille’sDressmakerAggieMom&GrandmaForA&MSterlingJewelry:stores.ebay.com/charboeg979 979-778-2293 | charboeg@yahoo.com1711NEarlRudderFwyBryan,TX77803
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Texas A&M soccer coach G Guerrieri and his squad will appear on Ellis Field once again against the No. 6 TCU Horned Frogs and South Alabama Jaguars after spending over a week on the road. The Aggies will compete against its ranked opponent on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. before they return to the pitch on Sunday to play against the Jaguars at 1 p.m.
Junior M Kate Colvin (2) scores a goal after missing a penalty kick during the Aggies’ game against Sam Houston State at Ellis Field on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. O’Brien —
THE BATTALION
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Aggie soccer remains undefeated going into 7th game
Aggies fight to keep winning streak against ranked and unranked teams
In the secondary, freshmen Bryce Anderson, Denver Harris and Martrell Harris Jr. had a combined five tackles, all being individual takedowns. On the defensive front, freshmen Walter Nolen, L.T. Overton and Shemar Stewart combined for six tackles, 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries. “Those guys are very talented,” sophomore defensive lineman Fadil Diggs said. “They’re going to strain, run to the ball. I’m glad they got to do that today, because, you know, it can be nerve-wracking playing your first game as a freshman. So I’m glad that they got that out.” Expect the maroon and white secondary to step onto Kyle Field and into a bigger role from their Week 1 matchup. Against Sam Houston, senior Demani Richardson and junior Antonio Johnson played up to expectations and were more impactful in the backfield rather than their own territory. Richardson and Johnson had a combined nine tackles and two tackles for loss in the 31-0 victory. On Saturday, Sept. 10, expect an intense matchup from a high-powered offense run by Barbay against Durkin’s young and lethal “Watchingdefense.[Appalachian State], they look like they play well together,” junior defensive lineman Isaiah Raikes said. “We definitely want to hold [Appalachian State] to as minimum points as possible. It’s exciting to me; I love competition. I look forward to that and I’m sure our whole defense looks forward to that.”
A&M’s leading goal scorer sophomore MaKhiya McDonald, who missed last season due to injury, has logged four goals on the season. In addition to McDonald, the Aggies have ten other players who have sent a ball into the back of the net. Defense has played a major role in the past few weeks for the Aggies. Senior defender Katie Smith earned the title of SEC’s Defender of the Week after playing the entire 180 minutes in the shutouts against Illinois and Ohio State last week. Alongside Smith, graduate defender Karlina Sample, freshman Caroline Calzada and senior goalkeeper Kenna Caldwell have created an impenetrable wall in the back. “We’ve only given up one goal in our six games, which is what we’re hanging our hat on right now with our defense,” Guerrieri said on Monday. “Katie Smith, who’s one of our captains, is going to be named the SEC Defender of the Week, which is high praise because there’s currently six undefeated teams in the TheSEC.”Aggies are currently undefeated this season and have only posted two ties. However, this could quickly change against an opponent like TCU. While the Frogs currently hold a 3-2-1 record, they have a solid offense behind graduate forward Messiah Bright. A&M’s defense will be tested against the attackers in Sunday’spurple.opponent, South Alabama, has also posted a successful season. Like the Aggies, the Jaguars are also undefeated, recording two ties. The Jaguars’ defense has been extremely productive as they’ve only allowed two goals, while the offense has scored 15 this season.Looking ahead to the two matches during his press conference, Guerrieri acknowledged the talent in front of the team. “[The Frogs] are back-to-back champions in the Big 12, a very, very good program,” Guerrieri said. “They’ve done a really good job. Their coaches work very hard. We have a lot of respect for them. … On Sunday, we play another undefeated team in South Alabama when they come to town and they are, again, a perennial power. They’ve won many, many Sun Belt Conference championships.” With two undefeated teams on the schedule, the Aggies will receive a test right before conference play starts up a week and a half later. Following these two games, A&M opens up SEC play at home against Georgia in its annual ‘Turn it Gold’ match on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m.
OFFENSE VS. DEFENSE CONTINUED
30%
Robert
“Our front seven did a really nice job in winning the first down battles,” Fisher said. “Which kept us in more secondand third-and-long situations which really helped get threeand-outs and being able to get stops.” Against the Bearkats, the Aggies’ defense held the offense to 198 total yards on offense, including 91 yards through the air and caused 50% of passing attempts incomplete. Against a mid-major team who is transitioning from the Football Championship Subdivision, or FCS, to the Football Bowl Subdivision, or FBS, a fan might expect more chaos in the backfield. However, it’s difficult to stop a mobile quarterback who transferred from a Power-Five conference and lives outside the pocket. Now, they will be facing a pocket-passing quarterback in Brice who hibernates in between the tackles. On Sept. 3, the 12th Man witnessed a rotation from multiple freshmen on the defensive side of the ball, all making an immediate impact in the first game of the season. Their playing time has not expired and isn’t expected to anytime soon.
B3The Battalion | 9.8.22SPORTS
offensive line.]” The 12th Man anxiously anticipated the return of sophomore quarterback Haynes King, who went down with a season-ending injury in the second game last season. The signal-caller had a productive performance, throwing for 364 yards and three touchdowns while showing off his playmaking ability by rushing for 35 yards on six carries. However, King also threw two interceptions, giving him five total picks across his two full games as a starter, dating back to last season. “Haynes [King] made good plays and read some really nice reads and made two really good throws in that [he] hit two long touchdown throws,” Fisher said. “We had a pick, [we] didn’t need that. But other than that, [he] used his legs well, made some good runs. [He] got us in the right place.” One bright spot for A&M against the Bearkats was its wide receivers. Senior wideout Ainias Smith picked up right where he left off last season, reeling in six catches for 164 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Freshmen wide receivers Evan Stewart and Chris Marshall each played well, amassing 98 total yards on nine catches. “I thought they played pretty well,” Smith said. “Coming in as freshmen, they had the little jitters walking out of the tunnel, but it seemed like all of that went away as soon as the game started. I was excited for them, very happy for them. [They] came out, and they didn’t play like no freshmen. They played well.”Additionally, the Aggies have valuable options at the wide receiver position in senior Jalen Preston and sophomores Yulkeith Brown and Moose Muhammad III. Brown reeled in a 66-yard touchdown pass from King in the season-opener, while Preston and Muhammad had six total scores last season. With proven playmakers in the rushing and receiving areas of the game, A&M certainly has the pieces for a productive offense this season, but as the most recent game showed, it’s not a guarantee that this will translate to points on the scoreboard. Therefore, it’s important that the team builds chemistry and meshes together to create a cohesive unit. Unlike the smooth victory picked up by the Aggies, the Mountaineers dropped arguably the most exciting game of college football’s Week 1 slate. Appalachian State flexed its offensive muscles on the Tar Heels but struggled to keep them out of the end zone as well, giving up eight touchdowns and 567 yards of total Appalachianoffense.State redshirt junior inside linebacker Andrew Parker and junior defensive back Nick Ross paced the team with eight and six total tackles, respectively. Redshirt junior outside linebacker Nick Hampton had 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble, while redshirt sophomore defensive back Jackson Greene also forced a fumble. Last season, Appalachian State gave up an average of 22.1 points per game en route to a 10-4 record and an appearance in the Sun Belt Conference championship game. While this past Saturday wasn’t their defense’s best showing, the Mountaineers have historically been efficient at keeping opposing offenses limited. “They have great playmakers and an exceptional offense and defense,” Appalachian State coach Shawn Clark said. “Schematically, they give you a lot of tough situations on offense and defense. We have our work cut out for us, but our guys are excited to go down there to College Station. If you haven’t been there before, it’s a great place to play a college football game.” on a respectable performance. The Georgia native completed 25 of his 36 passing attempts for 361 yards and six touchdowns — yes, six touchdown passes. Despite losing the game after consecutive failed 2-point conversions, Brice left this game a winner and was named Sun Belt Offensive Player of theNowWeek.for Brice’s right-hand man — or left, depending on the play call — is not just one, not two, but five running backs A&M’s defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin must worry about before the Sept. 10 matchup. The Mountaineers have two All-Sun Belt running backs splitting carries in sophomore Nate Noel and junior Camerun Peoples. This one-two punch combined for 2,054 yards and 18 touchdowns during the 2021 season and is already off to a similar start. In the 63-61 loss to North Carolina, they combined for 181 yards on 27 carries and three touchdowns. However, three other running backs made an appearance in Chapel Hill, N.C. Sophomore running backs Anderson Castle, Ahmani Marshall and junior Daetrich Harrington combined for 51 yards on seven attempts and will most likely come in as a fresh set of legs for Noel and Peoples. Similar to the tailbacks, there are multiple wideouts to watch out for. The first is redshirt junior Dashaun Davis who led the Mountaineers in both receptions and receiving yards with six and 72, respectively. Davis snagged a 28-yard touchdown pass at the end of Week 1’s game that set up App State’s first failed 2-point attempt. The next leading receiver was junior Christian Horn who averaged 19.7 yards on just three receptions and a touchdown. The last receiver to watch out for is redshirt junior Kaedin Robinson who tallied 48 yards on just two receptions and a touchdown. The Mountaineers had three other receivers who had over 20 yards receiving and five receivers who had at least one reception. Expect Barbay to call a heavy dose of pass plays come Saturday and for Brice to share the ball to at least eight of his teammates at the wideout position. There is not much to say about the Mountaineers’ offensive linemen other than they have four redshirts who are under the wing of a senior transfer from Western Carolina. Right guard Isaiah Helms was named to the 2022 preseason All-Sun Belt team and will look to hold a deep and young Aggie defensive line come gametime. “Coach Clark and Appalachian State are coming in here, and they have one heck of a football team,” A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “This is a great football team that I think could be in any major conference in the country and be extremely competitive. These guys have played for a long time and played great people every year. They had a great game last week and had a shootout. We’re going to have to play a great game in all three phases.” As for Durkin’s talented 11, they will be coming off a 31-0 shutout win against Sam Houston State where they formulated two turnovers, an interception by sophomore safety Jardin Gilbert and a forced fumble recovered by freshman Jacoby Mathews.Asacollective unit, the Aggies’ defense forced six threeand-outs on the Bearkats first seven possessions, three sacks and six tackles for loss against a team who hasn’t been shutout in the past eight seasons, the last being a 56-0 loss to LSU in 2014.
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Prediction: Alabama 45, Texas 24 Saturday, Sept. 10 — DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium — Austin 11 a.m. on FOX A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE FOR WEEK
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South Carolina @ No. 16 Arkansas Prediction: Arkansas 32, South Carolina 24 Saturday, Sept. 10 — Razorback Stadium — Fayetteville, Ark. 11 a.m. on ESPN
No. 20 Kentucky @ No. 12 Florida Prediction: Florida 28, Kentucky 23 Saturday, Sept. 10 — Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — Gainesville, Fla. 6:00 p.m. on ESPN
This is going one of two ways: either it’s the game of the week or the letdown of the week. These two historic universities have only played each other once since the year 1982, but, as the site of Week 2’s College GameDay, this is a game that needs to be marked on your calendars. A pair of young quarterbacks in junior Bryce Young and redshirt sophomore Quinn Ewers, powerful running backs in juniors Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson and defensive studs in junior linebacker Will Anderson Jr. and fifth-year linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. In the end, Alabama will just be too much to hang with for 60 minutes — as they often are. No. 1 Alabama @ Jordan Epp
South Carolina travels to Arkansas for the first head-to-head SEC matchup of the year. South Carolina has new energy with a number of transfers but is running into a buzzsaw early in the season, facing the Razorbacks in Fayetteville. Arkansas’ offense looked potent, and their defense looked dominant against a ranked Cincinnati team. It’ll be a good test for the Gamecocks’ new offense, but Arkansas should be able to pull out a home victory. Last year, Kentucky had just its second 10-win season since 1977. Florida jumped from unranked to No. 12 after a victory over seventh-ranked Utah. Both teams are entering Week 2 with something to prove in the season’s first ranked, SEC-versus-SEC game. The Gators boast a much-improved offense and defense, but the Wildcats have lost talent on both sides of the ball. The Swamp is a notoriously hard place to win, but if Kentucky can pull it off, another 10win season is on the cusp.
Vanderbilt2 vs. No. 23 Wake Forest Prediction: Wake Forest 34, Vanderbilt 27 Saturday, Sept. 10 — FirstBank Stadium — Nashville, Tenn. 11 a.m. on SEC Network
B4The Battalion | 9.8.22SPORTS
Your eyes don’t deceive you, I’m talking about Vanderbilt football. The Commodores have not started 3-0 since the 2017-18 season — they’re 2-0 right now. They’re facing up against a ranked Wake Forest team that’s getting back redshirt junior quarterback Sam Hartman, who was out with a non-football-related medical issue. Vandy’s junior quarterback Mike Wright is leading his team with 391 passing yards and 247 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Oddly enough, this game could have top-25 implications for both teams.
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On the defensive end, junior linebacker Nick Hampton is a key player for the squad and could create challenges for A&M’s o ensive line. Hampton is talented and skilled at making plays to get the ball back in the Mountaineers possession. He tallied 2.5 sacks, five total tackles and forced a fumble in the season opener.
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Senior quarterback Chase Brice leads the Mountaineers as quarterback and he was named the Sun Belt Conference’s o ensive player of the week after his record-breaking performance against North Carolina. The quarterback is no stranger to performing under pressure as he threw a 28-yard touchdown pass with just 31 seconds left to tie the game against North Carolina. Brice concluded the game with a career-high 361 yards and set a school record for six touchdown passes to six di erent receivers.
Brice’s o ensive leadership partnered with sophomore Nate Noel, a running back and last year’s leading rusher in the Sun Belt Conference, could be a challenge for the NoelAggies.had a career-high two touchdowns and had 116 yards on 14 carries to contribute to the intense matchup against North Carolina.
A&M — Evan Stewart, No. 1 Evan Stewart, a freshman wide receiver, made his debut, and his presence was made known with five catches for 57 yards in the season opener against Sam Houston. The five-star receiver’s skills and impact will be needed to disrupt the defensive gameplan of the Mountaineers, if A&M’s o ense is going to have success in Saturday’s matchup.
A&M — Jardin Gilbert, No. 20
By Shanielle Veazie @shanielleveazie
App State — Nate Noel, No. 5
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App State — Nick Hampton, No. 9
App State — Chase Brice, No. 7 Bringing fire defensively for the maroon and white is sophomore defensive back Jardin Gilbert. Gilbert matched a career-high five tackles and recorded the first interception of his career against Sam Houston State. Gilbert’s grit and toughness could provide the Aggies with a much-needed defensive edge against the Mountaineers.With an o ensive line that can make huge plays and perform well under pressure, the Aggies defense will need to be set on its opponents and focused on containing Brice.
A&M — Yulkeith Brown, No. 8 Scoring the first touchdown to put the Aggies on the board against Sam Houston was sophomore wide receiver Yulkeith Brown, a wide receiver for the squad. The 66-yard pass was the first reception of Brown’s career. “Evan [Stewart], I thought he did well,” Jimbo Fisher said. “I thought our young wideouts did a nice job in the game. Yulkeith [Brown] making those plays and being able to run and get the balls and the big plays, I thought was really good.” Brown’s speed and eye for the ball will be required to help the Aggies put up points and edge out the Mountaineers’ defense.
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TREN DY , D E SIGNER & VIN TAGE 2410 Texas Ave S, College Station, TX2022 EARN CASH FOR CLOTHES Welcome Aggies!! B6The Battalion | 9.8.22SPORTS Mr. Field is my father, call me Kyle. Managing @KMcClenaganEditor Kyle McClenagan Texas A&M vs. Appalachian State What even is a Mountaineer? Saturday, Sept. 10 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2 MICHAELAJORDANKYLEZOE Asst. Sports @MayZoellaEditor Zoe May WEEK 2: STAFF PICKS Yeah, you may be mountaineers, but there ain’t no mountains here Appalachian isn’t a state either. @Editor-in-ChiefSportsEditorMichaela4Batt@J_epp22 Michaela Rush Jordan Epp KATHRYNKENZIEGRANTCALEB These mountains haven’t peaked my interest. Asst. News @KenzieFinch6Editor Kenzie Finch This will be an easy climb. Life & Arts @KathrynMiller0Editor Kathryn Miller App State? I thought Apps were the little boxes in my phone. App State? More like Napp State, Aggies by 30. Opinion Editor Asst. Sports @CalebElizondo7Editor@Grant_gaspard Caleb Elizondo Grant Gaspard BOBBYEMMA The Appalachian Trail ends in Kyle Field Chief @Bob4BattPhotographer Bobby O’Brien Student Business Manager @Emma_Mise Emma Moser How do you even spell Apalatchin?
