The Battalion - September 10, 2020 by The Battalion

“BILL & TED” REVIEW ON PG. 5

RUDDER ADAPTS ON PG. 3

Third COVID-19 cluster identified at A&M Squadron 17 cadets self-isolating after exposure to positive cases By Brady Stone @bradystonex Following two reported clusters of COVID-19 cases at sorority houses, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Delta Delta, in early

August, Texas A&M has reported a third cluster — this time in Squadron 17 of the university’s Corps of Cadets. According to the Clery Act section of A&M’s COVID-19 website, this cluster was first reported on Sept. 2 Squadron 17, also known as “Challenger 17,” is an all-male Air Force outfit in the Corps that contains 64 students. Squadron 17 is housed in Dorm 7 on The Quad along with

Squadron 3, Squadron 4, Squadron 8 and the First Wing Staff. A&M Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communication Kelly Brown, said no cadets from that Corps unit remained in their dorm and all members are either off-campus or in a temporary room on campus designated for self-isolation. “Under A&M’s policy, those who received

Confirmed clusters Kappa Kappa Gamma (8/20) Delta Delta Delta (8/20) Corps SQ-17 in Dorm 7 (9/02)

SQ-17 ON PG. 2

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

A&M President Michael K. Young will retire from his position in May 2021.

Search committee created to find next A&M President National search underway for President Young’s replacement By Myranda Campanella @MCampanella_ Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

said she is overcoming the feeling of isolation by pouring herself into her activities and organizations. “I’m still just trying to remain consistent with those organizations that I’ve committed myself to,” Telschow said. “It is a really good way to just keep my head up and keep on keepin’ on towards a goal.” To end the stigma of mental illness on college campuses, Active Minds TAMU is hard at work continuing to promote the importance of students’ well-being during this difficult time. Active Minds president and visualization junior Margaret Myers said that although doing most activities through a virtual format makes it easy for students to isolate themselves, the importance of social interaction remains unchanged.

Following President Michael K. Young’s announcement of retirement set for May 2021, a national search is now underway for the next president of Texas A&M. A&M System Chancellor John Sharp announced in a Sept. 3 news release that a new search advisory committee has been created to find Young’s successor. The committee consists of 17 members from across the university system, including two members of the Board of Regents, Chairman Elaine Mendoza and Vice Chairman Tim Leach. “The search advisory committee is charged with delivering a minimum of three candidates to Chancellor Sharp who will [then] refer one of them to the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents,” the press release said. Though Young’s retirement is not effective until May 31, 2021, Sharp said the decision to begin looking for the next president is of “paramount importance” as the university works through challenges in response to the current global situation. “We want a president with superb academic credentials who recognizes and will maintain the special culture and traditions

MENTAL HEALTH ON PG. 2

COMMITTEE ON PG. 2

Students looking to speak with someone about their mental health can schedule an appointment with Texas A&M Counseling and Psychological Services at caps.tamu.edu.

‘There is joy to be found’ Aggies look for positivity amid COVID-19 pandemic at time when many are balancing mental health, coursework By Shelby McVey @shelbyxbreann

s Texas A&M’s positive COVID-19 cases continue to rise day-by-day, students feel the physical and emotional toll. Maintaining health and safety procedures and handling the stress of classes are two of many responsibilities that can weigh students down during this time. With so much to worry about, students like English senior Madi Telschow are noticing the down-

fall of their mental health. “The way that I have felt during this quarantine is that I’m constantly on the edge of this cliff,” Telschow said. “I feel like I have to be doing everything possible to maintain my mental health being that I struggle with mental illness. If I don’t do my perfect routine or I don’t take my meds for even one day, I almost fear that I’m going to fall off that cliff.” On top of the pressure of being a college student, Telschow said maintaining her mental well-being has been anything but easy. “Having to be so self-disciplined and being self-aware has almost been anxiety-inducing for me,” Telschow said. “I think I’ve been really fortunate that aside from the stress of the situation we are facing, I haven’t gone into this deep depression, but it definitely does put me down a little.” To remain optimistic while surrounded by her bedroom walls in quarantine, Telschow

Aggies cheer through pandemic Texas A&M’s competitive cheer team finds new ways to show their spirit By Emily Wedemeyer @emilynwed Although they do not cheer on the sidelines of Kyle Field or appear at other sporting events, Texas A&M does, in fact, have cheerleaders and they have made a name for themselves as back-to-back national champions. The all-girl competitive cheerleading squad earned the title of National Cheerleading Association Champions in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 2018 and 2019. The team was stripped of the opportunity of earning a three-peat this year, as their season was cut short last spring due to the coronavirus. As with other athletics teams and organizations, A&M’s cheer team is having to acclimate to a new normal in order to comply with the COVID-19 restrictions and regulations.

Jordin Bourg, a junior and third-year member of the team, has assumed the role of treasurer this year. She said despite the abnormal circumstances, the team is still holding tryouts planned for mid-September and is excited to acquire new members. The tryouts will be held in person as normal, but will be formatted differently. “For the actual tryout process, we are not allowed to touch each other, which means we cannot stunt,” Bourg said. “We are requiring each candidate to highlight themselves through a video in which they are supposed to have certain [group] stunts performed, the same skills we would’ve asked to see at open gym and in-person tryouts.” Technology has proved to be an incredibly useful resource amid these unideal circumstances, but Bourg said virtual tryouts don’t come without their challenges. “I think something really unique about CHEER ON PG. 7

Via Texas A&M Cheer Squad Facebook

The Texas A&M cheer team is an all-girl competitive cheerleading squad.

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NEWS

The Battalion | 9.10.20

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Squadron 17 is one of over 40 units in Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets.

SQ-17 CONTINUED a negative test result but were in close contact with someone who tested positive must still quarantine for 14 days from the time of close contact as it’s possible to develop symptoms during that time,” Brown said in an email to The Battalion. “The other Corps members who tested negative in that same unit were either moved to an on-cam-

COMMISSION CONTINUED that make Aggies unique,” Sharp said. In addition to Mendoza and Leach, the other voting members of the committee are as follows: Susan Ballabina, deputy vice chancellor and chief operating officer for the vice chancellor of Agriculture and Life Sciences Kristina Ballard, Staff Council president Kathleen Gibson, chair of trustees for the Texas A&M Foundation Greg Hartman, vice chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and senior vice president and chief operating officer for the Health Science Center Yava Jones-Hall, veterinary pathobiology associate professor and director of the Core Histology Laboratory John Junkins, regents professor, Royce E. Wisenbaker Chair of aerospace engineering and director of the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study Jack Lafield, board of trustees member for the 12th Man Foundation

pus quarantine quarters (not their regular dorm; all were temporarily moved out) or to an off-campus home. They are not to be interacting with other units, participating in activities or going to class in person until cleared by contact tracers.” A&M has not yet confirmed the number of students in Squadron 17 who tested positive for the virus or how many students are currently self-isolating at time of publication. Kaylee Cogbill — THE BATTALION

Arvind Mahajan, associate dean of Mays Business School

Texas A&M Counseling and Psychological Services, also known as CAPS, is located in the Student Services Building on main campus.

Cathy Mann, chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of Former Students

MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUED

Eric Mendoza, student body president Roderic Pettigrew, chief executive officer of engineering health and executive dean for engineering medicine Joe Ramirez, brigadier gen., (Ret.) Commandant, Corps of Cadets John Stallone, vascular physiology and pharmacology professor and Faculty Senate speaker Jorge Vanegas, dean of the College of Architecture Karen Wooley, chemistry and chemical engineering, material science and engineering professor, W.T. Doherty-Welch Foundation chair, and director of the Laboratory for Synthetic-Biologic Interactions

“The abrupt change in our academic environments was difficult to adjust to in the beginning,” Myers said. “I think it is incredibly important to maintain social interactions during these times, whether that be through Zoom or in small groups. Setting time aside for [that] and going outside can be incredibly beneficial.” Even with each curveball COVID-19 throws, Myers said she is confident that following through with a familiar routine will help take a bit of weight off students’ shoulders. “I think continuing to do our regular programs and trying to keep everything as normal as possible, just in a different format, is incredibly beneficial,” Myers said. “We are

still able to carry out our mission...and I think we will be able to incorporate a lot of things we have learned from this [into] our future programming.” With so much to worry about, Telschow said maintaining a consistent self-care routine could help students find a daily purpose. “Getting up every day, getting in the shower and putting on a cute outfit all sounds really trivial,” Telschow said. “But it at least gets me out of bed. It has me acknowledge that today is a new day, and there is joy to be found.” A&M Counseling and Psychological Services is not currently taking walk-in appointments according to their website, but appointments can be scheduled at caps.tamu.edu. HelpLine is a phone service offered through CAPS and can be reached at (979) 845-2700 on weekdays from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. and 24 hours a day on weekends.

LET’S BE FRIENDS

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs James Hallmark will preside as committee staff person and be an ex-officio member, according to the press release.

Brady Stone, Editor-in-Chief

Aggies believe in

LEADERSHIP

Camryn Lang, Managing Editor Julia Potts, News Editor Myranda Campanella, Asst. News Editor Hannah Underwood, Sports Editor Jenny Streeter, Asst. Sports Editor Shelby McVey, Life & Arts Editor Rebecca Morris, Life & Arts Editor Maroon Life Editor

Henry Mureithi, Opinion Editor Joshua Howell, Asst. Opinion Editor Cole Fowler, Arts Editor Meredith Seaver, Photo Chief Kaylee Cogbill, Asst. Photo Chief Mitchell Beddingfield, Multimedia Editor Annie Wells, Asst. MM Editor Cori Eckert, Page Designer

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THE BATTALION is published Thursdays during the 2020 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. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media,a unit of the Division of StudentAffairs.Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com.

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Aggies and leadership go together like a “Howdy” and a firm handshake—a natural fit. That’s why it is no surprise that there are

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Tuesday, September 15, 2020 5:30 p.m. on Zoom To receive joining instructions register by Monday, September 14, 2020 at bush.tamu.edu/events/ 979.845.1927

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THE BATTALION

Please join us to hear Laura Chapman Rubbo, our 2020 McLane Leadership in Business Award recipient, who oversees the balancing of business and human rights responses for the Walt Disney Company, the largest licensor of consumer products in the world.

LIFE&ARTS

The Battalion | 9.10.20

From entertainment to education Kaylee Cogbill — THE BATTALION

Rudder Theater Complex venues host classes during the week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. as well as occasional night classes.

Rudder Theatre Complex adapts to COVID-19, provides classrooms By Jacob Gauthier @StoryweaverJ Due to restrictions on social gatherings, Rudder Theatre Complex and its on-campus organization clients have made significant adjustments to their fall semester plans. The pandemic has prevented most live performances scheduled for this semester from happening. However, that has not stopped Rudder Theatre Complex from providing essential services to the university, and on-campus organizations like MSC Town Hall and MSC OPAS continue working on ways to bring entertainment to audiences virtually. Rudder Theatre Complex and its staff played a large role in helping the university prepare for this unique semester. Associate director of Rudder Theatre Complex Jason Muchow said Rudder’s multiple venues are being used for large in-person classes.

“Obviously, we have some of the largest venues around, so even with social distancing, we can fit some of the larger classroom capacities,” Muchow said. “All of our venues have classes pretty much [from] 8 or 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day, and the auditorium has a Monday night class.” Since Rudder’s staff has technological expertise, given that they usually assist large-scale productions, the team was also tasked with preparing multiple locations across campus for virtual teaching. “We were not just responsible for our venue,” Muchow said. “We brought 20-plus venues online across the Division of Student Affairs and [helped make] one or two other locations classroom ready. [That included] installing cameras and upgrading microphones.” One of Rudder’s clients, MSC OPAS, usually brings entertainment to Rudder’s auditorium and theater through musicals, plays and concerts. Following the university closure, the staff decided to cancel the rest of the season’s shows. Executive director Anne Black said the decision was difficult for the team.

“We work all year to put a season together,” Black said. “We were losing the biggest shows of this season [and] we were also losing the ability to announce next season [of shows]. It was really hard.” However, the staff decided they would find a way to stream live performances to audiences. After reaching out to Choir of Man, a UK-based singing group which performed at Rudder in October 2018, MSC OPAS was able to schedule a live stream event for the fall semester. “We thought, ‘We’re going to reach out to friends, we’re going to reach out to artists that have been here… and see if they’ll do something for us,’” Black said. “Choir of Man was the first group we called, and they were elated.” MSC Town Hall is in a similar situation to MSC OPAS. The organization normally brings live music events and other shows to campus. However, this semester they have not had the opportunity to do any in-person events. Despite this setback, chair of MSC Town Hall and animal science senior Travis

Neill manages to see the positives of the situation. “We’re looking at it as a challenge and an opportunity to get really creative with our events,” Neill said. “It’s not necessarily something that’s hindering how we function.” MSC Town Hall is planning outdoor events and securing special training for its members. “We’re looking at working with the staff of Rudder to develop our members in terms of training on sound systems, training on putting on events in an auditorium setting and things like that,” Neill said. “Usually, we do that ourselves, but now that the Rudder people aren’t as busy as they normally are, they have more time to work with us.” Now facing a lull in activity at Rudder, Muchow said he wants to help bring events to campus. “Being in the event world, we’re used to running 90 miles an hour for weeks at a time,” Muchow said. “We’re event people. We want to make things happen, so if there are groups out there that have an idea, contact us, and if we can help, we will.”

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The Battalion | 9.10.20

OPINION

FILE

Opinion writer Caleb Powell outlines three candidates running for College Station City Council’s fifth seat.

College Station needs new leadership Columnist Caleb Powell says the race for City Council Place 5 is a crucial local election in 2020 Caleb Powell

@calebpowell23

lthough the 2020 presidential election is captivating the public’s attention, we cannot ignore our local races. Municipal officers often make decisions that directly affect the community, like lowering taxes, maintaining infrastructure and providing a police force. As such, we need to choose the right candidates to sit on our City Council, and Place 5 is currently up for grabs. Three candidates – John Nichols, Brian Alg and Craig Regan – are vying for the seat, but one is a clear choice. The incumbent, John Nichols, intends to continue to make College Station a city that serves Texas A&M community members. Nichols intends for each budget decision to be “aligned to the effort to attract and support the students and faculty of Texas A&M.” Having served on the Budget and Finance Committee, Nichols has experience directing funding to appropriate avenues. Although COVID-19 has also forced city staff to amend College Station’s 2020 budget, Nichols expects to maintain relatively low property rates. The most significant concern about Nichols is his plan to increase student

housing. City Council drafted the Restricted Overlay Ordinance to give neighborhoods the power to limit the number of unrelated tenants to two persons in rental properties. Implementing this ordinance would disproportionately affect college students and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Nichols argued in a workshop that City Council should give single-family neighborhoods more power. His theory is that restricting rental occupancies would drive away investors and lower property rates and taxes. Suppose Nichols’ vision is focused on making College Station home for A&M’s students. In that case, he needs to propose alternatives for students living in rental homes. The second candidate, Brian Alg, is the only one of the three men to have a campaign website. Unfortunately, it doesn’t contain Alg’s policy platform – only a “donate” button. Alg’s Facebook page is marginally more useful. Of the seven posts on his page, one is his picture and four discuss why people shouldn’t reelect John Nichols. Alg says Nichols wishes to “push for pet projects, continue wasteful spending, and disregard the rights of citizens.” Alg also accuses Nichols and other Council members of being unprincipled in governing and attacks them for the Restricted Occupancy Overlay ordinance. However, Alg’s best solution is that he “can and will do better.” He dedicates most of his posts to mudslinging, and has

few policy proposals to solve the problem. The only substantive recommendation he has on his platform is striking a city ordinance that bars people from drinking outside on Northgate – pun intended. As someone who has never been to Northgate and does not drink, forgive me for being unimpressed. Alg’s most significant roadblock is that he mostly stands against Nichols rather than for his vision. He states he will “correct past mistakes,” but he gives constituents no reason to trust that he will fulfill his campaign promises without a policy platform. The third and final candidate is Craig Regan. Although he is also running his campaign from a Facebook page, Regan has created a comprehensive set of policies to improve the city. Unlike Nichols, Regan’s vision centers on permanent residents in College Station rather than A&M students and faculty. His primary focus is on College Station’s debt of $464 million. To solve the debt crisis, Regan proposes that the city sell refundable bonds to pay off the debt while keeping the money in College Station. He hopes when residents receive a refund from their bond purchases, they will reinvest it within the city’s economy, making it much less dependent on current students. At first glance, I have no reason to vote for Regan. Most of his plans are meant to conserve permanent residents’ wealth, incentivize nonprofits to restore

the natural environment and cut regulations for small businesses. However, after I graduate, the only reason I will likely return to College Station is for game days at Kyle Field, or if my kids choose to be Aggies. COVID-19 has exposed how many businesses are dependent upon college students. Revenue from sales and property taxes is down. It is more important than ever for College Station to become self-sufficient. Although Nichols has experience as the incumbent, we need new leadership in College Station. The City Council’s primary directive is to serve residents. However, tens of thousands of us leave every summer and most will move elsewhere after graduation. Therefore, we should elect someone who looks out for those who stay and call College Station home. Between Alg and Regan, only one has a concrete vision and policy platform for College Station’s future. Regan’s plan to sell bonds and address the city’s debt and deficit will benefit residents in the long run. A&M may also call College Station home, but students come and go – relying on us to support the economy is not sustainable. Regan can make the city self-sufficient, and as Aggies we owe it to the people of College Station to vote for their future. Caleb Powell is a biomedical engineering sophomore and opinion columnist for The Battalion.

OPINION

The Battalion | 9.10.20

Creative Commons

“Bill & Ted Face the Music” released both in theaters and on demand on Aug. 28, 2020.

A worthy but flawed conclusion to a classic Arts criticism writer Keagan Miller says “Bill & Ted Face the Music” is full of nostalgia Keagan Miller

@KeagnMlr

he movie “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” is a quintessential 80s classic. Endlessly quotable and patently ridiculous in the very best way, the film follows the story of two high school slackers, played by Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. The lackadaisical duo’s delusions of grandeur are realized when a man from the future, played by George

Carlin, visits 1988 in a time traveling phone booth and tells them they must pass their upcoming school history project in order to preserve the future utopian society they eventually go on to help create. The characters naturally proceed to travel back in time and collect historical figures to speak in their history presentation. Filled with frequent air-guitar riffs, totally bodacious 80s language and a lovable cast of zany historical figures, Bill and Ted’s original adventure through time is a laugh-aminute blast. That 1989 film was followed in

1991 by “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey,” which continued the delightfully ridiculous story of the original. The sequel, while not as good as the original, still takes its exquisite strangeness to new heights as its characters fight evil robot versions of themselves and travel through hell, befriending Death along the way. 2020’s “Bill & Ted Face the Music” is the next chapter in their wacky story, picking up some 30 years after “Bogus Journey” left off. Reeves and Winter aren’t teenagers anymore, and the film uses the massive time gap to its advantage. The story focuses on an aging

Bill and Ted, having yet to unite the world through their music and create the super society they were destined to start. When a cosmological sci-fi event sets a deadline and leaves the old friends with just 77 minutes to write the world-uniting song they’ve been trying to write for decades, they resort to time travel hijinks to save the universe. While “Face the Music” is a decent follow-up to “Bogus Journey” and does a fine job with the classic characters, the film ultimately fails to achieve the same lightningin-a-bottle success of “Excellent Adventure.” Furthermore, the film’s more modern feel, expanded list of central characters and its less focused story cause the film to feel more scattered and not as funny as “Bogus Journey.” “Face the Music” relies more on nostalgia and self-reference than actual humor. Lastly, the film is predictable, falling back on established story tropes and abandoning some of the all-out absurdity that made its predecessors so successful. On a more positive note, the cast is excellent. Reeves and Winter may have been born to play these roles, and even in their mid-50s, the two capture that clueless teenage attitude their characters are known for so perfectly. Their chemistry is flawless, and they’re totally believable as lifelong, inseparable best friends. After unfortunately passing away in 2008, the great George Carlin returns through a brief cameo using archive footage from the original film. Kristen Schaal is excellent in her small role as a woman from the distant future, and Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving are wonderful as Bill and Ted’s young adult daughters. William Sadler also returns in his role as Death. Despite the film’s structural flaws and the fact that it just isn’t quite as funny as the original two films, “Face the Music” does have a strong heart. “Face the Music’s” finale, while not nearly as excellent as the endings to either of the first two movies, still wraps up Bill and Ted’s story in a rather beautiful way. Nostalgia can serve up some pretty intense emotions on its own, and even as the film fails to innovate, it still feels touching because of its sincerity and the love for the original two films that its creators clearly have. Overall, “Bill & Ted Face the Music” is a must-watch for any Bill & Ted fan. The film doesn’t quite live up to the hilarious strangeness of the first two movies, but it does the characters justice and concludes their journey in a sufficiently spectacular way. Keagan Miller is a psychology senior and arts criticism writer for The Battalion.

SPORTS

The Battalion | 9.10.20

Several fall sports release 2020 schedules SEC announces fall season updates following delays By Hannah Underwood @hannahbunderwoo Three weeks into the start of fall classes, some of Texas A&M Athletics’ programs are finally learning their 2020 schedules. The soccer team will kick things off first for A&M with a road match at Ole Miss at 5 p.m. on Sept. 19. The Aggies will return to Ellis Field for their home opener against Auburn at 2 p.m. on Sept. 27, before going back on the road to play Arkansas on Oct. 4. A&M will also host Florida at 1 p.m. on Oct. 11, Mississippi State on Oct. 16 and LSU on Nov. 6, with road games against Tennessee on Oct. 23 and Alabama on Oct. 30. The program’s eight-game conference-only slate was announced by the SEC on Sept. 9. A&M’s cross country teams will also kick off their season on Sept. 19 in the SEC Preview Meet at LSU On Wednesday, the confer-

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

The Texas A&M soccer team will begin its season on the road against Ole Miss at 5 p.m. on Sept. 19.

NOW IS THE TIME to pre-order your copy of the

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ence announced the men’s golf team’s fall schedule, which will feature three tournaments on the road. The Aggies will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the Blessings Collegiate Invitational Oct. 5 through 7, then head to the Vanderbilt Legends Collegiate Oct. 25 through 27 before wrapping up the 2020 regular season at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate Nov. 9 and 10 in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. The A&M volleyball team also received its 2020 matchups on Sept. 9. The Aggies will play eight conference games, starting with a doubleheader at home against LSU on Oct. 17 and 18. A&M will then go on the road for another two-game series against Ole Miss on Oct. 22 and 23. Two more doubleheaders follow against Mississippi State at Reed Arena on Nov. 4 and 5 and at Arkansas on Nov. 13 and 14. The 2020 A&M football schedule was released on Aug. 17. The Aggies will kick off their 10-game conference-only slate on Sept. 26 against Vanderbilt at Kyle Field.

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SPORTS

The Battalion | 9.10.20

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Senior forward Rheagen Smith recorded her first collegiate goal her freshman year against Florida in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament.

A family tradition For A&M soccer’s Rheagen Smith, success on the field is hereditary By Meghan Sharber @maghan_olivia02 By four-years-old, Texas A&M senior forward Rheagen Smith knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life — play soccer. “I always wanted to play the game and grew a love for it,” Smith said. “I was very competitive and even used to cry if we lost games.” Smith isn’t the only athlete in her family. Her dad is Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, and her mom, Hope Wilson, was a track athlete and cheerleader in high school. Smith said sports were valued and highly encouraged in her house growing up. “My father always pushed me to be the best player that I could be,” Smith said. “He always made sure that I was preparing the correct way and wanted me healthy on the inside and outside. He would make me drink Pedialyte before games, take my vitamins and encouraged me to do a lot of rolling with

a foam roller.” Smith recalled how she felt during her father’s time playing with the Dallas Cowboys. “When he played in the NFL I was very young,” Smith explained. “I was maybe two or three years old when he broke the NFL rushing record, and I have seen all of his Super Bowl rings that he has won. I just remember being young and seeing all of the greatness of him and it is something that has been embedded into our family.” As Smith got older, she said her love for soccer continued to grow. When she attended Greenhill School, her talent began to make itself known. According to 12thman.com, Smith notched 20 goals and 12 assists during the 2015-2016 high school season. She was named to the United States Women’s U-18 National Team roster in 2015 for training camp in San Diego and tabbed an All-Southwest Preparatory Conference selection in 2014-15 and 2015-16. She was also successful in track and field, earning the 2014 and 2015 SPC All-State First Team in sprints and hurdles and even won the 4x100 relay at the state championship as a freshman in 2014.

After spending most of her childhood in Dallas, Smith said she was eager for change. “It wasn’t until my official visit that I learned all about A&M and how different the setting was compared to Dallas, and I liked that a lot,” Smith said. “I wanted something different, and when I entered campus for the very first time I felt like this was where I belonged. After my official visit, I missed Texas A&M and was ready to go back.” During the 2019 season, Smith appeared in all 22 matches, making three starts and racking up 730 minutes of play. As a rookie in 2017, she appeared in 17 games, all off the bench, logging 314 minutes. Her first career goal was on her birthday in the Aggies’ SEC Tournament semifinal victory over Florida on Nov. 2, 2017. The game holds special meaning for her and her family. “My dad came to the semi-final game, and that was the first time I scored for A&M,” Smith said. “The game was against the University of Florida which is where my dad went to school, so it was kind of a big deal for me.” Overall, she has started in seven games and boasts 12 career points on four goals and four assists in 1,829 minutes of play. Smith said her favorite memory as an Aggie was when she was a freshman and the team won the SEC Championship. Despite the effects of COVID-19, Smith said the team has been successful in staying healthy due to their efforts in social distancing. “Our team is very strong right now and we all understand that it is important to be very selfless right now,” Smith said. “We are being very socially distant right now and everyone wants to work with us since none of us [are] sick.” Smith said as a college athlete, she values being a team player and believes that is what brings success to a program. “I work hard not just for myself, but for my teammates as well,” Smith said. “You cannot let anyone down because it’s a team thing and you have to hold yourself accountable. Someone can lose a ball and it’s our job to help them get it back.” Throughout the ups and downs of her soccer career, Smith said her mom has always been her biggest supporter. “Growing up, she has witnessed how much I love soccer and has even seen how it has hurt me,” Smith said. “She doesn’t miss a game and has helped me mentally, spiritually and emotionally. She has always encouraged me to be the best player because these moments do not last forever.”

CHEER CONTINUED A&M’s cheer team is that we don’t just [accept] girls based on their skill level. We truly care about their character and who they are as a person,” Bourg said. “It’s going to be a little harder for the judges to assess character and coachability and those things that A&M values so much when looking for potential new members this year.” Once the 2020-2021 team is finalized and announced, they will begin practicing. The team has already organized a plan for what practices will look like and what adjustments will have to be made. “Normally, we have a team of 25 girls and we all share the same mat, whereas this year we’re going to be split into groups of 10, and in those groups of 10, still maintain six feet of distance between one another,” Bourg said. “Fortunately, the room we practice in is huge, so we’ll be able to spread out appropriately. The groups of 10 are not allowed to intermingle so it’s going to be challenging and interesting, but we’re going to go ahead and move forward with practice.” Although the competitive cheer season doesn’t ramp up until the spring semester, this fall the team will primarily spend their time conditioning and working on individual skills such as jumps and tumbling. Along with social distancing measures, the team will be required to wear face coverings at all times and will be taking the members’ temperatures upon arrival to the practice facility. As a club team, they are subject to rules set by the university and are supervised by Rec Sports. Bourg said the team has suffered an abundance of lost opportunities. However, she considers this semester an opportunity to gain a new perspective. As a veteran member of the team, Bourg said it’s easy for the members to get too caught up in focusing on the final competition. “We have no idea what’s going to happen in the upcoming months so the fact that we’re still trying out and want to be here should bring back a lot of the love and passion for the sport that a lot of us have probably been missing for a while now,” Bourg said. One of the aspects that sets the A&M cheer team apart from others is that since it’s a club team, the members don’t choose to attend A&M for the sole purpose of cheering. “That’s what is so crazy,” Bourg said. “The fact that we’re still making our bodies do the things we do at this age is simply because we love it and that’s so great.” Bourg said one thing the team talks a lot about at practice is finding their purpose. “Why are you here? Why are you doing this? Whether it be cheer or life, what’s your why?” Bourg said. “I think this season is going to be really promising and helpful for the team to find out what our ‘why’ is.”

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