The Battalion — September 14, 2023

A&M purchases local Children’s Center CHILDREN ON PAGE A2

Review of Olivia Rodrigo’s new album GUTS ON PAGE A4

Aggies seek redemption against ULM PREVIEW ON PAGE B2

A&M falls to Houston in midweek matchup RECAP ON PAGE B1

Kraus on thin ice

By Nicholas Gutteridge and Ana Renfroe @nico_gjc and @aeoenia

The Texas A&M Judicial Court has issued an injunction that temporarily halted proceedings for Student Body President Hudson Kraus’ impeachment trial. The trial was intended to be held during the Sept. 13 Student Senate meeting, but now, the Student Senate and Kraus will fight a judicial battle in front of the court’s seven justices.

The charges are a culmination of tension between the Student Senate and Kraus, according to an anonymous high-ranking official from the Student Government Association, or SGA. They said the situation climaxed with Kraus’ attempt to lower the qualifications of a cabinet position to match his brother Hunter Kraus’ lack of SGA experience.

The official said after the nomination attempt at the Aug. 30 senate meeting, senators

demanded an official apology from Kraus.

According to another anonymous source with access to internal affair documents, on Friday, Sept. 8, Kraus attended a Student Senate Internal Affairs meeting with the top senate leaders, where he passed out a written statement.

“First, I acknowledge full responsibility for my actions,” the letter from Kraus reads.

“While my behavior was absolutely incorrect, this was a one-off incident due to the relation of Hunter and myself.”

Kraus went on to issue a private apology to the group.

“Furthermore, my feeling is that impeachment is a tool to be utilized when all other options have been exhausted,” the letter reads. “In this case, I made a mistake and I take ownership of the error. However, my actions have not been indicative of a negative pattern of behavior that would warrant such an impeachment action occurring.”

The document proposes creating legislation from the Student Senate mandating the president meet with committee chairs once a month and attend each committee meeting once during the fall semester, so he can “begin to atone for [his] actions.”

The document ends by stating SGA should

not contribute to further upheaval in the current university climate and that a public impeachment would “derail the credibility of SGA further.”

However, the anonymous SGA official said senators continued to ask for a public apology.

“There [were] a variety of meetings where an apology was demanded,” the official said. “And finally, people started saying, ‘Enough is enough. We value integrity. We want to preserve that.’”

According to the SGA Code, approval from one-third, or 22 members, of the Student Senate is required to file for Kraus’ impeachment. But in just days, the petition had amassed 43 signatures.

While the senate needs a one-third vote for the initial motion, a two-thirds majority is required to impeach Kraus and remove him from office.

“The senate exists because it’s a diverse body that represents every corner of [A&M],” the anonymous SGA official said. “It exists to hold accountable student leaders. [The senators] are in a place where they haven’t been worked well with by the student body president.”

Once the signature threshold was met, the impeachment trial was scheduled for the sen-

ate’s next general meeting on Sept. 13. However, Kraus filed an appeal to SGA’s Judicial Court, resulting in the court issuing an injunction on Sept. 12, temporarily pausing any proceedings related to the impeachment.

“Effective immediately, this injunction shall halt any procedure, hearing or communication by any Student Government member or official regarding the impeachment of Student Body President Kraus,” the injunction reads. “The Writ of Injunction shall remain in effect until such time an official opinion of the court has been rendered.”

After accepting the appeal, the court shared the order with members of SGA on the night of Sept. 12, giving them 72 hours to submit evidence to the Judicial Court, according to the SGA Code. They will then deliberate in front of the court’s justices, who will make the final opinion for the case of “Student Body President Kraus v. Student Senate.”

The injunction also issued a “gag order” on communication regarding the impeachment process. According to the SGA official, if any member speaks about the proceedings while the order is in effect, they can be immediately dismissed from the senate and unable to serve in the next session.

New exhibit highlights A&M football

1890s to the present day, Bush Library museum director Robert Holzweiss said. More than two years of planning went into the exhibit that brings together content from A&M, the 12th Man Foundation, the athletic department and private donors, Holzweiss said.

By Emelia Gamez @EmeliaGGamez

For a limited time, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum invites visitors to view its football exhibit encompassing Texas A&M’s almost 130-year history on the field.

On Aug. 28, the Bush Library inaugurated “A Spirit Can Ne’er Be Told … A Century of Aggie Football,” an exhibit showcasing the history of A&M football.

The exhibit is a “celebration” of A&M’s football program, from its beginning in the

Holzweiss said the library wanted to have an exhibit to show appreciation to A&M for its continual support. When they decided on the history of football, A&M supported the initiative. As an Aggie, Holzweiss said any Aggie will enjoy this exhibit.

“A&M is built on tradition and service to others, and our football exhibit highlights many of the wonderful traditions of A&M,” Holzweiss said. “Our Corps [of Cadets] exhibit sort of exemplifies Selfless Service, and those two things together really say Aggie Spirit and Aggie nation to me.”

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Senior Student Body President Hudson Kraus sits at the Student Senate meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023.

Chris Swann — THE BATTALION

George

A guest looks through a section in the Aggie Football Exhibit at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum on Sunday Sept. 3, 2023.

Ashely Bautista — THE BATTALION

Children’s center under new ownership

A&M invests in research, expanding early-childhood education opportunities

By Adriel Landeros @cande_landeros

On Aug. 21, Texas A&M announced its ownership of the Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center, a childcare center that provides early educational programming for children ages 2-6 years in the Bryan-College Station. The A&M Institute for Early Childhood Development & Education will collaborate with the children’s center to provide assistance with early childhood education.

Dean of the School of Education and Human Development Michael de Miranda, Ph.D., said A&M has an outstanding Becky Gates Children’s Center, which offers worldclass childcare for the local and university

community.

“The addition of the Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center expands our capabilities to not only serve the community, but also potential employees that have children that are employees of [A&M],” de Miranda said.

De Miranda said the centers are able to collaborate with other resources and ideas.

“The idea is that we can use best practices from one center to the other and look at the Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center and the wonderful things that they’ve done there and the best practices that are here and utilize them in other areas,” de Miranda said. “So we can really learn from each other and work together.”

De Miranda said graduate students will be able to practice methods, techniques for research and understand the early childhood development and education experience.

“Just think — children are being raised and taught there and taken care of,” de Miranda said. “Undergraduate Aggies who are interested in early childhood development and edu-

cation are going to be [seeing] early childhood development, and teachers are all going to be able to experience that.”

Director of the Texas A&M Institute of Early Childhood and Development Hope Gerde, Ph.D., said she is excited about the integration of the Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center into the university.

“I think the benefits are numerous,” Gerde said. “The educators at the Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center have early access to new technology generated by the rigorous research conducted at [A&M] and beyond. They will be contributing to the generation of this knowledge by partnering with faculty to guide and execute this research.”

Gerde said students are looking forward to opportunities to partner with the educators, families and children of the Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center, as well as contributing to cutting-edge research.

“The field of early childhood transforms the lives of young children and their families, [which] ensures that children have access to

high-quality education right from the start,” Gerde said.

Gerde said the collaboration makes a difference for the teachers as well.

“As we go, we’ll continue to support those teachers to be mentoring all the Aggies who are pre-service educators or in various fields who are engaged in practicum in the centers that, again, make our graduates even stronger,” Gerde said.

Gerde said the Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center and its programming will contribute widely to A&M’s nationally recognized success in educational research and teacher preparation.

“There will be an incredible driving force to ensure that the students have the gold standard in education through this Living Learning Lab, where they will not only be learning theories and practice in the classroom, but have opportunities to observe their experience, teach and work with families,” Gerde said.

The Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center Building in College Station on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.

Samuel Falade --- THE BATTALION

Walking out the Aggie way

Students react to new, alum-produced football walkout song

By John Chapa @JDChapaBatt

Texas A&M dropped “Power” as its football walkout song following Kanye West’s controversial public behavior last fall. On Sept. 2, Texas A&M Athletics debuted its new walkout song at the 2023 season home opener against New Mexico. Questions surfaced online during the offseason as to what hype song would replace the university’s pre-

KRAUS CONTINUED FROM PG. A1

“An injunction means that someone believes that there has been a technical error in the processes of student government and would like for [the Judicial Court] to step in and figure it out,” the anonymous official said. “One of the effects of an injunction — in addition to looking into a potential error — is [that] it functions as a gag order, preventing any members involved in the issue from speaking to students, faculty, administration or the public.”

The Battalion contacted multiple current senators but all were unable to comment on the impeachment, such as Constituency Affairs Chair Marcus Glass.

“At this time, I do not want to give my opinion on anything due to the Writ of Injunction,” Glass said to The Battalion. “I have high respect for the process.”

The Student Senate and Kraus have both been assigned counsel by the court in the form of Judge Advocates Generals, or JAGs. Each JAG is trained by the court to provide fair representation for all parties, according to the court’s website.

Chief Justice Sawyer Bagley de-

vious one. A&M Athletics searched no further than A&M former student, Class of 2020 and band member of pop duo, Surfaces, Colin Padalecki to produce the new “Aggie Intro.”

History junior Jack Mull stood with his roommates, aerospace engineering junior John Hafele and economics junior Will Ward, on the second deck for the first game.

There, the men and the rest of the

12th Man listened to the new walkout song for the first time. Hafele said the chant sounded reminiscent of A&M’s previous hype song.

“The song reminded me a lot of ‘Power,’” Hafele said. “I think that’s kind of what [Padalecki] was going for. I mean, we all really liked ‘Pow-

clined to comment on the situation.

“The court will be unable to release any statement prior to the trial in order to protect all parties that may be involved with the court,” Bagley wrote in a Sept. 13 statement to The Battalion. “We have a process we must follow, and this is part of it.”

However, because of the injunction, the anonymous official said the trial would likely take place at the next Student Senate meeting on Sept. 27. They said it might be sooner if Speaker of the Senate Andrew Applewhite calls a special session.

Applewhite did not comment on the proceedings. However, in a statement, he said he had faith in the senate.

“I would like to affirm my belief in the senate that they will make the right decisions, and that we have followed the code every step of the way,” Applewhite said.

Former student senator Brandon Rhea, the speaker pro tempore during the last Student Senate session, said the proceedings will delay the senate from discussing other issues.

“It’s definitely going to take more time to handle this instead of it all getting done tonight,” Rhea said.

er,’ and then things happened … I think he still wanted that same sort of feel and he nailed it on the head. When it played, I looked around and a lot of people were nodding their heads to it, going along with it.

I consider that positive feedback.”

In an interview with A&M Athletics, Padalecki said he believed A&M is the only university to use a song not found on the radio as its walkout song. Hafele said this makes the song stand out against other schools.

“You see other schools that will do ‘Enter Sandman,’ ‘Thunderstruck’ or other familiar songs as their hype songs, but are other schools making their own hype songs?” Hafele said. “I don’t know

of any. This is a first for everybody. We are the only [school] who can say we’ve done this and I think that’s pretty amazing.”

Even if another school produced a hype song in-house, it doesn’t match the sheer magnitude of A&M, Ward said.

“If another school does happen to have another song to the level that we do, we still have one of the largest student bodies,” Ward said.

“We’re a nationally accredited university with over 70,000 students.

We’re the No. 1 school in Texas and it feels that way. The song makes it feel like this is our year.”

Mull said the song impressed him, giving credit to Padalecki’s well-timed beat drop.

“The first half of the song sort of built up and hyped us up for the players to come out, and then to start the second half of the song, the beat dropped perfectly with the players running out of the tunnel,” Mull said. “It was really cool.”

Ward said it’s understandable the university replaced the previous walkout song and that they made a smart decision to do so. “Power” missed out on one crucial component anyway, Hafele said.

“Kanye isn’t an Aggie, so ‘Power’ didn’t add anything to us,” Hafele said. “It was just a song. Having this new ‘Aggie Intro’ adds to us and holds a little more meaning for A&M.”

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Holzweiss said he encourages students to come to the museum. He said he hopes the students stay and also see Bush’s exhibit, detailing his life, which is nearby. A&M and Blinn students have free entry with a student ID, according to the Bush Library.

“I’d love every student to visit,” Holzweiss said. “Visit multiple times. Bring your friends and family with you. I think everyone will enjoy it.”

“[There will be] at least two more weeks of delays before this issue is resolved.”

The anonymous official said the decisions made by the student body president and student senate affect every Aggie, including how stu-

dents perceive the worth of A&M’s Core Values.

“I hope the student leaders remain committed to preserving Integrity and leading [A&M] in a way that upholds our character and our desire to selflessly serve our state and

our country,” the official said. Editor’s note: Student Body President Hudson Kraus was unable to be reached by the time of publication.

For freshmen and those new to A&M, the exhibit can teach them more about traditions, Holzweiss said. For upperclassmen, he said it gives them an opportunity to brush up on their knowledge, as the exhibit tells the true story of some of A&M’s “folklore.”

“When you go to a game, you’ll know why you do what you do,” Holzweiss said.

On display are multiple trophies, including Johnny Manziel’s Heisman Trophy and Von Miller’s Butkus Award, museum volunteer Velinda Corbell said. In addition, there is a section on Reveille and the Fightin’ Texas

Aggie Band, she said.

“It’s not just simply seeing a football exhibit,” Corbell said.

Corbell said it’s the little-known facts that are not talked about that visitors will take away. Students will learn new information, and it’s “amazing” to see the progression from “that little dirt field” to today’s Kyle Field, museum volunteer Afshi Mirza said.

“[It’s important] to see how we got to where we are now from the very humble beginnings and to share that with other people,” Corbell said.

As visitors come in for Aggie football, Holzweiss said he is hoping to get more attendance as SEC games approach. After the season-opening win on Sept. 2, attendance was great, Holzweiss said.

“I would expect big things as we move through the football season,” Holzweiss said.

The library also hopes to connect strongly with Aggies not living in the Bryan-College Station area, Holzweiss said.

“We want them to know that when they’re back in town, we’re here for them,” Holzweiss said.

Senior Student Body President Hudson Kraus and senior Executive VP of Operations Grayson Sims speak during the Senate Meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023.

Chris Swann — THE BATTALION

Ashely Bautista — THE BATTALION

Rodrigo spills ‘GUTS’ in sophomore album

“GUTS”

Artist: Olivia Rodrigo

Release Date: September 8, 2023

Rating: 8/10

By Emma Ehle @EmmaKEhle4

America’s favorite pop-punk princess is officially back and better than ever.

After teasing the release of her sophomore album, “GUTS” (2023) since late June, 19-year-old Olivia Rodrigo has finally “spilled her guts” all over the American music scene — and it’s just as gloriously messy as everyone hoped it would be.

“GUTS,” which was released by Rodrigo on Friday, Sept. 8, is the official predecessor of her smash hit debut album “SOUR” (2020), which had both tweens and 20-somethings alike crying themselves to sleep for weeks on end. While “SOUR” — which still exudes a considerable amount post-break-up teen angst — is primarily comprised of heart-shattering ballads, Rodrigo appears to have taken a more reckless rock n’ roll approach with her second album, harnessing “SOUR”’s same coming of age turmoil in a much more “angry older sister” fashion.

Sonically, the best way to describe “GUTS” is that it sounds like it was pulled straight out of an early-2000s flick (possibly one starring a grungy Lyndsey Lohan or furious Julia Stiles). Rodrigo, who was able to impressively capture an era of music that hit its peak before she even hit elementary school, employs the album’s dark pop-rock aesthetic as a channel for things like anxiety, self-deprecation and heartbreak, establishing a level of relatability that rivals most contemporary singer-songwriters.

In terms of standouts, “GUTS” produces quite a few, most of which enter the category of either “excruciatingly painful ballad” or “early 2000s pop-punk masterpiece.” “the grudge, “teenage dream” and “making the bed,” — all of which are part of the former — are equally gut-wrenching in their own right, exploring different elements of heartbreak and self-hatred through a lens of raw, unadulterated melancholia.

The album’s dramatically swelling outro, “teenage dream,” offers a particularly interesting take on Rodrigo’s teenage

growing pains. Taking after the same somber ache of Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers’ “Nothing New” (2021), “teenage dream” is a true anthem for every 20-year-old teenage-minded girl who sees their value and shiny young allure slowly depreciating with age. While the song may feel like a wildly specific attack on your own deep-seated insecurities, it is also exceedingly interesting to consider in terms of Rodrigo’s existence as a young artist, seeing as both her personal branding and overall image are heavily dependent on her portrayal of the “angsty teenage girl.”

On the grittier side of “GUTS,” “ballad of a homeschool girl,” “love is embarrassing” and “get him back!” take Rodrigo’s teenage trepidation and sharpens it, melding pop, grunge and pure spunk into something absolutely electric. Poking fun at the singer’s own frustrations with her

social skills, “ballad of a homeschool girl” is deliciously edgy and comically blunt, feeling like a page ripped straight from the diary of any socially anxious, disturbingly self-aware young person.

“get him back!,” which may strike listeners as a bit KIDZ BOP-ish on the first listen, is actually one of the strongest, catchiest tracks on the album. Utilizing a clever double entendre for both “getting back” and seeking revenge on an ex, the track is sharp, snappy and full of witty one-liners that sum up Rodrigo’s love-struck confusion. Some prime examples include, “I wanna break his heart, stitch it right back up, I wanna kiss his face with an uppercut,” and “but I am my father’s daughter, so maybe I could fix him,” which acts as a crafty reference to her father Ronald Rodrigo’s occupation as a therapist.

The music video for “get him back!,”

which was released without prior announcement from Rodrigo on Sept. 12, is choppy, chaotic and completely turbulent in the best way possible, featuring multiple different Rodrigos running around and reeking havoc while accompanied by campy special effects and bizarre transitions. Interestingly, this video is the first of Rodrigo’s “GUTS” projects to not be directed by Canadian artist and director Petra Collins, who’s distinct style and “angsty yet definitively feminine” teen girl aesthetic has become a staple of Rodrigo’s image since the “SOUR” era.

Ultimately, this era of Olivia Rodrigo is the perfect follow-up to the devastating, pop-punk tease that was “SOUR.” It is sonically diverse, thematically cohesive and deliciously dramatic, perfectly showcasing a new ex-Disney star that did not just leave the nest, but burned down the entire tree in her take to the air.

By Benjamin Barnes @Ben_Batt24

Good news, you won’t be for long.

No, this isn’t an infomercial for some magical elixir that will make the girl of your dreams fall for you for the low price of $19.99. Plus, ew, why would you want that? While it may be discouraging to get turned down, the chase is what makes dating fun, and nothing worthwhile comes to those looking for a shortcut.

All right, now buckle up and get your pencil out because after learning these tips, you’ll soon be the Casanova of College Station.

After speaking with a few girls — some single and some in a relationship — they shared their ideas on what the best strategy is when it comes to attracting a potential partner. So, let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

Approaching a Woman

As many of you know, despite being the first step, this is actually the hardest for most guys. Your head becomes a clouded mess of the possible scenarios of rejection akin to death itself.

Will she make it quick and painless by telling me she’s taken, or will it be slow and agonizing as she ghosts me over the next several days? Get this out of your mind. Instead of fo-

Rizz not rizzing?

cusing on all the ways it can go wrong, focus instead on how you’re moments away from forming a new friendship. Believe it or not, but the law of attraction actually claims positive thoughts manifest positive outcomes.

Okay, good. Now that you’re in the right headspace, you can start walking over to her — and yes, your first impression should be face-to-face. No sliding up on Snapchat stories over here, champ. You want her to be able to pair a face with your personality, which is almost impossible to do over social media.

However, setting matters. According to sophomore Evelyn Bonner, aspiring psychology major, guys should avoid approaching girls while they’re deep in study mode. Whether it’s in class, somewhere on campus or even at Northgate, Bonner said guys’ best shot at sparking a conversation is “if she’s on her phone or if she’s with her friends. That shows confidence.”

Junior education major Landry Bailey stressed the importance of asking for a girl’s number as opposed to Snapchat and using words like “beautiful” rather than “hot.”

“This will make her swoon,” Bailey said.

Talking Stage

Congratulations, you’ve successfully obtained her number. Now it’s time to capitalize. She may take a while to respond, that’s OK. You may have the burden of creating interesting conversation topics, that’s OK.

The sad reality is, in the age of social media, girls tend to have significantly more options than you do. They’re also more selective. You shouldn’t fret though, because this is your chance to stand out.

First things first, don’t be too invested in the idea of impressing your crush.

She wants a companion — not an arrogant jerk. Most girls prefer a genuine guy who’s not the best at making conversation over a pretentious frat bro who’s just looking for his next score. Rangeland, wildlife and fisheries management sophomore Jessica Sebastian kept it sweet and simple when she said, “You don’t have to put up a front, just be yourself.”

That being said, don’t be too much of yourself. Complicated, I know. However, rather than make conversation about niche topics you’re interested in, i.e. fantasy football, flip the weight of the discussion to her. Her interests, future aspirations, latest food craving and favorite new music are now all you care about.

Biology junior Amber Del Angel said it’s best to “really [get] to know the person first before you start talking about things that could potentially be uncomfortable for the other person.” Again, while it may seem relatable to tell her what kind of drunken trouble you ran into over the weekend, it might be wise to test the waters before doing so.

If you’re having trouble navigating potential starter topics, here’s a few ideas.

What’s your comfort movie and why?

Send me a playlist of ten songs that are essential to your being, and I’ll rank em’.

Do you have pets? (Ask to see pictures). This gets them gushy.

And if you’re feeling spicy — what’s the best meal you’ve had in recent memory? Want to go?

First Date

Hallelujah! You’ve done it. I’m proud.

You’ve served your sentence in the talking stage and gotten to know her as a friend, but more importantly, as an individual with feelings and desires a profile bio could never capture.

Typically speaking, girls like assurance. Once you get around to making plans for the first date, come to her with a concrete proposal. Dinner and ice skating, Bigshots and a picnic or even volunteering at a pet shelter.

Just whatever you do, all of the women I spoke to highly discouraged offering to go back to your place, no matter how subpar you are at playing the guitar. This strategy is nowhere near ‘Kenough’ to win her over.

Assuming the night goes well, she may turn and look at you for a prolonged period of time. No, she isn’t challenging you to a staring contest, she’s looking for you to make a move. This could be a kiss, a hug or simply a few words displaying your affection for her. It varies for each person, but above all else, as some of the girls mentioned, consent is key.

If you’ve got all that, I think you’re prepared for your first collegiate heartbreak — I mean interaction with a woman. It’s important to remember that knowing who you are is half the battle. As Sebastian said, “Girls don’t want to babysit.”

If you’re in tune with yourself, girls will take note of the kind of guy you are and what you bring to the table.

That’s all there is to it. Who would have thought learning what girls want starts by actually talking to them? A catch-22 at its finest. Well, at least now you’ve got some idea of where to start.

Benjamin Barnes is a telecommunication media studies senior and opinion writer for The Battalion.

Opinion columnist Benjamin Barnes says get the girl

WHO RAISES MONEY FOR TEXAS A&M?

Class is in session. Watch now.

COUGAR BAIT

By Hunter Mitchell @HunterM1001

After a historic 7-1 start to the season, Texas A&M volleyball faced its biggest challenge of the season against the No. 22 Houston Cougars on Wednesday, Sept. 13.

Despite their hot start to the season, the Aggies were unable to keep up with an experienced Cougar squad, falling in four sets.

“[The game] felt a lot like TCU,” coach Jamie Morrison said. “I thought we came out and we started to play our style of volleyball in the third set and got into a competitive match and we need to do that earlier.”

Houston is coming off of a 2022 season in which the Cougars made it to the Sweet 16 before falling to the Stanford Cardinal. The Cougars return most of their production from last year — starting four from last season’s team against the Aggies — and added impact transfer Kenna Sauer, a two-time All Big 12 FirstTeam selection at Texas Tech.

“Part of the growing part for our team is just, we’re not going to get everything all at once,” Morrison said. “We’ve got to be willing to grind within a rally. I think some of that is, though, [Houston’s] a veteran team [and] has played against some really good volleyball teams. Again, went to the Sweet 16 last year and did it in the tournament, again, where it gets harder and harder each round.”

In the first set, it was all Houston from the start. In seemingly an instant, the Cougars jumped to a 6-0 lead, highlighted by three kills by junior Houston outside hitter Katie Corelli and two from junior middle blocker Kellen Morin.

Despite a small rally to cut the lead to 7-3, Houston’s offense, led by graduate outside hitter Abbie Jackson, picked apart the Aggies’ defense. In the first set, the Maroon and White committed eight errors and only had seven kills compared to the Cougars’ 13.

A&M started off the second quicker than its first, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead off of two Houston attack errors. The Aggies and Cougars battled back and forth until, after up 8-5, Houston went on an 8-3 run to pull ahead 16-8. In the run, Houston continued to capitalize on miscues from A&M, racking up 4 of its 8 points in that stretch from Aggie errors.

“I actually thought the second set we settled in,” Morrison said. “I think our passers did a pretty good job. I’ve got to go back and watch the match. Our offensive numbers got a little bit better in the third and fourth, but I still think based on the way we passed, and credit to our passers, we can be a little bit higher.”

After two sets, Houston was dominating in all facets of the game. Offensively, the Cougars were hitting over .300, with 27 kills to A&M’s 17. Houston’s defense, led by graduate middle blocker Rachel Tullos stifled the Maroon and White’s attack, holding the Aggies to under

.100 hitting with six blocks.

In the third set, the Aggies opened up with their best start of the match, jumping to a 7-4 lead with help from a pair of kills by freshman outside hitter Bianna Muoneke. From there, the Aggies and Cougars battled back and forth.

A&M stretched its lead to 12-9 until Houston coach David Rehr called a timeout. After the break, the Cougars rallied and scored 4 straight points, taking their first lead of the set.

Unlike the first two sets, the Maroon and White did not allow Houston to pull ahead, answering Houston’s run with kills from middle blockers freshman Ital Lopuyo and sophomore Ifenna Cos- Okpalla.

Once more, both squads refused to give one another any separation, with neither team getting more than a 2-point separation. This is until the Aggies went on a 5-1 run — highlighted by three kills from graduate outside hitter Caroline Meuth — at 15-all to pull in front, 20-16.

From there, A&M held the lead the rest of the way. Houston made a late run, pulling the score within two, but the Aggies held on to take the third set 25-21 off of a slicing Muoneke kill.

“The one thing we’ve talked about is just, we’re going to play better teams,” Morrison said. “Instead of taking control of the match, just, we need to take control of each rally. I think we’re starting to figure out how to do that. I thought we got there in the third set of this [game] and the third set against TCU. Good teams are going to get digs, they’re going to get block touches and you can’t be frustrated by it.”

In the fourth set, it seemed as if the Cougars would run away with it early, jumping out to a 5-2 lead off of multiple Aggie errors and an ace from Sauer.

The Aggies didn’t give in, however, responding with a 4-0 run of their own to pull ahead by 1. In what was a theme the entire night, Houston pulled ahead of the Maroon and White due to errors. In an 11-5 run, the Cougars scored 7 of their points off Aggie mistakes. After pulling ahead, Houston did not give up the lead, taking the set 25-18 and the match, 3-1.

A&M came into the match fifth in the country in blocks per set, but were outblocked by the Cougars, 13-7. The Aggies also committed almost twice as many errors as Houston with 44 to just 28 for the Cougars.

“I thought we actually did a good job of settling into [Houston tipping over blocks] by the end,” Morrison said. “We started to realize that they were going to tip and that we need[ed] to go for it.”

The Maroon and White return back to action on Friday, Sept. 15, taking on Liberty at Reed Arena at 12 p.m.

Texas A&M volleyball fell to No. 22 Houston during a four set matchup at Reed Arena on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. The Aggies lost their second home game under new head coach Jamie Morrison 3-1 against the Cougars.

In biggest challenge of the season, A&M volleyball falls to 7-2 after losing to Houston in four sets

AGGIES FIGHT FOR REVIVAL

By Cade Harris @cadeharris_

Expectations around the Texas A&M program are different than they were a week ago.

After last week’s 48-33 defeat to Miami, the Aggies have one more non-conference matchup before conference play, with the focus being on Louisiana-Monroe in Week 3.

“There’s some things we have to clean up and after two games of the year, it’s going to be very important we make those transitions and corrections very quickly,” coach Jimbo Fisher said. “We move on with the rest of our schedule.”

Fifth-year wide receiver Ainias Smith said he is taking the loss to Miami personally and that other players are as well.

“I’m gonna make sure that we don’t let that happen again,” Smith said. “The way that my mentality is on winning, I’m a winner, I want to win and I’m gonna make sure that everybody around me has the same mentality.”

The Aggies appear to match up

well against the Warhawks. Louisiana-Monroe comes into the third week 2-0 after a 17-13 victory over Army in the opener and a 24-14 win over Lamar last week.

Through two games, ULM has relied on the rushing attack with sophomore running back Hunter Smith and graduate running back Isaiah Woullard. Both backs combined for 163 and 217 yards rushing in the first two games, respectively.

Fortunately for A&M, the rush defense has looked solid throughout the first two weeks, holding New Mexico to 89 yards on the ground and Miami to 77 yards. The soft spot of the Aggies’ defense has been defending the pass. The Hurricanes exploited this last weekend, throwing for 374 yards and five touchdowns.

Smith said he is confident that the Aggies can get their defensive woes cleaned up.

“I know they’re going to come stronger than ever, they always bounce back from tough days during practice,” Smith said. “We have some real good leaders on our defensive side and I know we’re going to get those guys right.”

The Warhawks have failed to eclipse over 100 yards through the air in their first two games. Graduate quarterback Jiya Wright started against Army while sophomore quarterback Hunter Herring started against Lamar. It is

unclear who will take the first snap come Saturday afternoon.

Whoever is taking the snaps may lean on sixth-year wide receiver Tyrone Howell, who leads the team in receiving with 137 yards and a touchdown grab on the season.

The defensive side of the ball has been the bright spot of the Warhawks’ season thus far, giving up 27 points. The unit has been balanced, allowing only one touchdown through the air and one touchdown on the ground.

“Defensively, they’re unorthodox,” Fisher said. “They play a lot of different fronts, mix guys, you’ll see one of their backers come and play safety, mixing coverages, different looks up front, stunts inside a lot, bring a lot of pressures, create double legal fronts and they mix their coverages very well.”

Smith knows that they had broken plays during the Miami game that it could have made, he said, but still being able to provide an efficient offense still leaves them with confidence.

“The fact that we were still able to score 33 points, even after some of the things that were happening throughout the course of the game, that just shows our resiliency, being able to still go even when things aren’t going right,” Smith said. “[We’re] still going to have to do the exact same thing that we’ve been doing in practice and go even harder at it.”

Despite matching up well against the Warhawks, Fisher said he believes the Aggies have a challenge on hand this weekend.

“You say dominate a game, but this team’s a good team,” Fisher said. “We want to dominate everybody we play but that can be tough at times.”

After the Miami game, Smith said the locker room was tense.

“The only thing that can take that tension out of the locker room is going out there and practicing and making sure we go home on Saturday just releasing all that negative energy,” Smith said.

On many football teams, the quarterback is looked at as the leader of the team. Sophomore Conner Weigman is looked upon as a leader by his teammates, Smith said.

“He cares, he wants to win, he tries to bring everybody along with him and he’s gonna go hard no matter how he feels,” Smith said. “This loss, I know, is going to push him to make sure that everybody around him goes even harder. I know he’s going to push me.”

The Aggies will need to be focused on beating the Warhawks first as they come to Kyle Field for a 3 p.m. matchup on Saturday, Sept. 16.

A&M returns home after Week 2 loss, hopes for turnaround

By Braxton Dore @BraxtonD1088

AROUND THE SEC

A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE FOR WEEK 3

No. 14 LSU @ Mississippi State

Saturday, Sept. 16 — Davis Wade Stadium — Starkville, Mississippi

11 a.m. on ESPN

Mississippi State is looking to prove it’s not going anywhere, starting off the season with an undefeated record against Southeastern Louisiana and Arizona. The nail-biter last weekend against Arizona had many Bulldog fans excited about their five forced turnovers, but nervous about how the offense would fare against Brian Kelly’s Tigers. State’s offense seemed lackluster at times against Arizona in its 31-24 overtime victory, especially in the variety of offense.

The Bulldogs threw the ball 17 times compared to Arizona’s 46. Senior quarterback Will Rogers threw for 3,974 yards last season and had a pass completion rate of 68%. This raises the question why the Bulldogs were so one-dimensional in their last matchup, and how badly it might hurt them come next week if they don’t change something.

LSU on the other hand, has had a turbulent start to its season. After losing its opener to a highly anticipated match against Florida State, 45-24, the Tigers struggled to compete with what looked like a playoff team in Tallahassee. However, senior quarterback Jayden Daniels and the rest of the Tigers offense looked like they were back in business for their first home game against Grambling State. Daniels threw five touchdown passes for 269 yards to overwhelm the Black and Yellow Tigers, a whopping 72-10.

Despite the other Maroon and White’s running game and their turnover-friendly defense, the Tigers have the edge with a better leader at quarterback, and a more experienced head coach.

Prediction: LSU 33, Mississippi 28

No. 11 Tennessee @ Florida

Saturday, Sept. 16 — Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — Gainesville, Florida

6 p.m. on ESPN

The Volunteers are taking a different approach to their new offense, primarily in the running game. With a new starting quarterback at the helm, senior Joe Milton takes the reins from NFL draftee Hendon Hooker, and the offensive play scheme has changed drastically as a result.

This team is in run-heavy mode now, with two capable backs, junior Jaylen Wright and senior Jabari Small, taking the brunt of the workload. Until Milton proves to be consistent and reliable, coach Josh Huepel is likely to stick to the run game and bank on his defense, which has already amassed 11 sacks through Week 2.

The Gators are coming into Week 3 with a 1-1 start to the season, with a loss to Utah in its opener, 24-11.While the offense looked stagnant, only rushing for 13 yards on 21 carries, the passing game promised more from Wisconsin transfer redshirt senior Graham Mertz, who tallied 333 yards and completed 70% of his throws. However, the Florida offense struggled to find the endzone in its first Power-5 matchup, only scoring a lone touchdown. If Florida wants to put up a fight against the Volunteers, it’s going to need a plan to force Milton into unwanted situations in order to capitalize on its opponents’ mistakes.

Prediction: Tennessee 21, Florida 18

South Carolina @ No. 1 Georgia

Saturday, Sept. 16 — Sanford Stadium — Athens, Georgia

3:30 p.m. on CBS

The reigning back-to-back national champions have shown fans there’s no signs of slowing down, winning their first two games by over 40 points. The Georgia Bulldogs are looking to prove that without quarterback Stetson Bennett, they can still run a highly effective offense under new starting junior Carson Beck and coach Kirby Smart. So far, Beck has thrown for 577 yards in games against Ball State and UT Martin, completing 73% of his attempts, and the Smart led defense has also amassed four interceptions.

The Gamecocks are coming off a rivalry loss to UNC in Week 1, where it gave up nine sacks to a defense rated among the worst last season. However, South Carolina managed

to rally behind returning senior quarterback Spencer Rattler in Week 2 against Furman, 47-21. Rattler looked like his old self and ended up with three passing touchdowns for 345 yards, with an 88% completion rate. If the Gamecocks want to make a statement against the champs in its first SEC opener, it’s going to need a lot of support from a struggling defensive line, who only had 20 sacks the previous year. While this matchup could end up being an air-raid battle to the end, I don’t see the champs losing this early in conference play.

Prediction: Georgia 38, South Carolina 21

BYU @ Arkansas

Saturday, Sept. 16 — Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium — Fayetteville, Arkansas 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2

Both teams go into Week 3 undefeated for the final SEC matchup of Saturday night. The Razorbacks are unproven going into this week, as they’re yet to play a Power-5 opponent. To top it off, star junior running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders is out with an ongoing knee injury for the second week in a row, after the injury took place in Week 1. Coach Sam Pittman is looking for his next man up in the running game, and backup junior running back AJ Green is fitting into the role so far with 19 carries for 104 yards.

BYU on the other hand, is starting its first season in the Big 12 conference, joining

alongside Cincinnati, Houston and UCF. The Cougars are undefeated so far against Sam Houston State, and Southern Utah, beating the later 41-16. BYU senior quarterback Kedon Slovis totaled five touchdowns, four in the air and one with his legs, and finished with 348 passing yards against the Thunderbirds. However, the Razorback defense has held opponents to less than 200 yards in the passing game, and acquired five interceptions through its first two matchups. If BYU wants to stay in this game, it’s going to need another big day from Slovis.

Prediction: Arkansas 30, BYU 14

OLDER AGGIELANDS

What time is it? Game time

By Kylie Stoner @Sportsbystoner

With SEC play coming up on Friday, Sept. 15, Texas A&M soccer will kick off conference play against Kentucky at Ellis Field. Matches between the Aggies and the Wildcats have turned aggressive in the last four meetings, with the two sides handed a total of 12 yellow cards. Kentucky was at fault for eight of the bookings, and is at six yellow cards so far this season.

Throughout the all-time series against the Wildcats, the Aggies have never lost. Eight wins and one draw marks the record of A&M against Kentucky.

A&M will host Kentucky for the first time since 2019. The last time Ellis Field hosted the Wildcats ended in the Aggies defeating the travelers 6-1. That game saw five different Maroon and White goal scorers.

Graduate forward Jordyn Rhodes leads the Wildcats with six goals this season, the rest of the team having scored two less. At 6-0-1, Kentucky has scored 15 goals this season and allowed only two.

The experienced backline of the Wildcats is tied for seventh in the nation in goals-against average. Graduate defender Maggy Henschler

has the most minutes with 595, behind graduate goalkeeper Marzia Josephson who has 630 minutes.

From playing at soccer powerhouse North Carolina to transferring to Kentucky ahead of this season, Josephson has 14 saves on the season, showcasing her defense’s strength.

Kentucky is also tied for tenth in shutout percentage with five shutouts in seven games, entering the game with four straight shutouts.

The leading scorers for the Aggies are junior forward Maile Hayes and senior forward Jazmine Wilkinson, with three goals each. The Maroon and White have scored 18 goals so far this season.

Shooting 21 times this season, Hayes got 12 of those on target to lead the Aggies in shots

and shots on goal. Hayes scored in the most recent match against Kentucky in A&M’s 3-0 win in 2021. Also scoring was junior forward MaKhiya McDonald and senior midfielder Taylor Pounds.

Earning player of the match against Rice, Pounds has appeared and started in seven matches while playing the full 90 minutes in five of them. Pounds returned after a season-ending injury towards the latter half of last season.

Deals on tickets include free admission to volleyball with a purchase of a soccer ticket, as well as free admission to soccer with proof of this weekend’s football ticket. The match will kick off at 7 p.m. and can be watched on the SEC Network.

A&M soccer set to open up conference play against Kentucky Wildcats at home

Kyle Heise, CJ Smith, Jaime Rowe — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M played Grambling State at Ellis Field on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. The Aggies dominated in an 8-0 win against the Tigers.