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Members of the Brazos Valley Roller Derby Team practice blocking and jamming with various highspeed drills.

THE BATTALION | THEBATT.COM FOOTBALL

Morgan Engel — THE BATTALION

WOMEN IN THE DÉJÀ VU RINK

Following a loss to Ole Miss Saturday night, Texas A&M found itself ranked No. 23 in the latest AP top 25 poll.

With two consecutive losses, A&M is on the brink of producing yet another late-season skid

Brian Okosun — THE BATTALION

Brazos Valley Roller Derby Team members use hobby to de-stress

Angel Franco @angelmadison_

ere we go again. The Aggies are on the verge of potentially having the same result as the last two seasons. It seems to be a familiar narrative that faithful A&M fans have seen before; A&M dominating the first half of the season but then falling into a downward spiral following the off week. Just two weeks ago, A&M was 7-1 with their sole loss of the season coming at the hands of No. 1 Alabama. The Aggies had risen through the rankings, knocking off ranked teams like UCLA, Tennessee and Arkansas. They had shown grit and poise in times when it was most necessary. The college football world had taken notice of the Aggies’ emergence, so when it came time for the College Football Playoff selection committee to release its first rankings, the A&M football program found themselves sitting in the coveted fourth spot. The committee’s decision to give the Aggies the No. 4 spot was met with a lot of protest due to the fact that there was an undefeated Washington team which was fifth. It was in A&M’s hands to prove all doubters wrong, with a favorable schedule to close out the season. It was safe to say the Aggies had played themselves into a “New Year’s Six” bowl. However, the events that would unfold in the next two weeks would be a nightmare for the maroon and white. It began in the first play of the game against Mississippi State as sophomore quarterback Nick Fitzgerald took it to the house on a 74-yard run. The No. 4 team in the nation was down to the worst team in the SEC West. However, the nightmare had just begun. In the first half of the game, senior quarterback Trevor Knight injured his throwing shoulder after diving for the end zone. The Aggies would go on to lose their second game of the season, 35-28. With the loss, A&M found themselves at No. 8 in the next installment of the College Football Rankings, a spot that seemed generous to some. However, the Aggies still had a slim chance to find themselves in the talks once again. Then came Saturday. Ole Miss’ starting quarterback Chad Kelly was out for the season with a torn ACL, so the Rebels decided to remove the redshirt off their true freshman Shea Patterson who had 23 Division-1 offers coming out of high school, including Texas A&M. With a commanding 21-6 lead to start the fourth quarter, it seemed as if A&M had spoiled Patterson’s college football debut. However, with an Aggie team that has struggled to close out big games, Patterson and the Rebels mounted the 15-point comeback to take the game and any hopes A&M had to finding their way into the top after three of the top-four teams lost in the same day. A day later, No. 23 A&M sits in fourth place in the SEC West at 7-3, with two games left in the regular season. The Aggies are set to host UTSA Nov. 19 and five days later on Thanksgiving night, No. 16 LSU. A&M has the potential to finish the season 8-4 for the third straight year. Although, not everything is set in stone — there is an eerie feeling in College Station that seems to mirror previous years. All the Aggie faithful can do is sit back and hope for the best. Angel Franco is a telecommunication sophomore and sports editor for The Battalion.

By EmmaLee Newman @Emmy_Lee014

n the rink, they’re engaging, dangerous and entertaining. You may see them skating around Bryan on First Fridays or even on campus. But without the skates on, they might be a teacher, doctor, veterinarian or mom. The Brazos Valley Roller Derby team (BVRD) began in 2009 when a page dedicated to getting a roller derby team in B-CS together was started on Facebook. The women trained for a year — some skating for the first time — until they met the qualifications for the

Women’s Flat Track Derby Association to compete as a team. Rhiannon Thurmond, aka “Fleetwood Smack” in the rink and member of BVRD, said roller derby in the past had been perceived as dramatized — more of a source of entertainment rather than a full on sport. But Thurmond believes it’s a balance between the two. “It’s very much a sport — we have rules, we have regulations, we work our butts off,” Thurmond said. “If we don’t make it to practice, we don’t play. In another aspect roller derby is probably one of the most entertaining sport you could watch.” For people in sports, finding and making time in college can be difficult but still possible. Sonya Jentoff, education graduate student and BVRD member, said it DERBY ON PG. 2

Aggie Muslim community concerned about Trump By Emily Bost @EmmyBost The election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States has spurred a wide range of emotions across the country — from joyful and relieved to fearful and shocked. But Muslim community members and students have categorized themselves firmly as uncomfortable. The community wishes to work through the situation with open dialogue and explanations for their issues with Trump’s rhetoric. Nafe Alsawfta, computer science senior, Muslim Student Association member and Islamic Community of Bryan-College Station treasurer, noted there was a lot of shock and apprehension toward Trump’s election, not only from the Muslim community, but also from a large portion of the American people. “After the things that [Trump] said which could be argued to be racist and xenophobic, they felt that the nation would not elect someone with that specific mindset. Usually when electing a president, people look for someone who would be a president for all the people of this country,” Alsawfta said. Sarah Ahmed, political science junior and MSA member, said many people gravitated toward Trump’s campaign and their hopes, grievances and beliefs for America are just as authentic as her own. However, some of Trump’s rhetoric alienated many minority groups from his campaign.

“On the other hand, Mr. Trump’s campaign was largely based on homophobic, xenophobic and racist rhetoric. Because it was based off of that and now that he is president, his leadership has alienated a lot of us, as minorities and women and people who he mocked and made fun of,” said Ahmed. Mahmoud Yamak, petroleum graduate student and ICBCS member, was shocked to find out Trump had won the election, as Clinton was predicted to win in the polls. Yamak said there is anger in this country and Trump was able to tap into it. “I was shocked and obviously disappointed, because of his consistent record of targeting different people, gender, women, Muslims and people with disabilities. I was surprised that someone of that character can reach the highest position in the country,” said Yamak. Ahmed said Trump’s apathy for discrimination towards Muslims makes them feel unwelcome. Some people are not as fearful of Trump as they are of the citizens who feel empowered by Trump’s rhetoric, according to Alsawfta. “I feel like people may feel empowered to say nasty things out of misinformation. These people have not had the dialogue to understand a different perspective and different struggles people face throughout the country. It’s a wild card. We don’t know what to expect,” Alsawfta said. ELECTION ON PG. 2

Students in classroom, coaches on the field Organization offers coaching opportunities for Aggies By Tyler Snell @Tyler_Snell2

Madeline Sambrano — THE BATTALION

Kinesiology senior James Bradford, vice president of Aggie Coaches and Kinesiology Teachers, explains upcoming events to the coaches.

The whistle blows. High school players trot off the field and form a circle as the coach explains what they did well in practice and what they need to improve on. After practice is dismissed, the coach travels back to campus not to visit his office, but to attend classes. Aggie Coaches and Kinesiology Teachers is an organization on campus which works with the Bryan-College Station community to provide coaching opportunities for

A&M students. Kinesiology senior and president of the organization Tyler Chamless said the club provided a bond with fellow coaches when he transferred to A&M his sophomore year. “I went to one of the meetings and fell in love with it right away and got connected with all of the coaching opportunities from the get go,” Chamless said. “It’s allowed me to build a whole lot of connections with coaches around the area, build my experience, and it’s definitely prepared me for when I leave A&M and get a job in the future.” With the season coming to an end, Chamless, who has coached basketball, football and track, said his favorite memory was his first coach-

ing position as the assistant coach of the track team at KOR Education School in Bryan. “My first opportunity — I was just an assistant with a couple fellow kinesiology majors and we bonded and got real close, not only with the coaches but with the students,” Chamless said. “The following year, I was able to take over as the head coach of the track program, and we had a very successful season.” The organization has biweekly meetings and hosts coaches, kinesiology teachers or athletic directors from around the area to inform members of coaching positions. COACHES ON PG. 2