The Battalion - September 30, 2021

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2021 STUDENT MEDIA

Battle lines drawn over state redistricting

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

The districts for the state legislature are currently being redrawn after the 2020 census.

Experts, officials comment on demographic changes in political representative redistricting boundaries

By Nathan Varnell @newsncv

A

s the United States becomes more racially diverse than ever before, political battles have begun over redistricting efforts at the local, state and federal levels.

On Monday, Sept. 27, the Texas State Legislature released the first drafts of new congressional and State Board of Education maps that could guide state politics for the next decade.

Texas will be the only state in the union to gain two congressional seats, for a total of 38, the U.S. Census Bureau announced in April.

The legislature does not gather the data for redistricting directly, however, as they oversee the process carried out by Texas county commissioners. Brazos County’s Commissioners kicked off their process in a special workshop session on Tuesday, Sept. 28.

Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP, an Austin-based law firm, is overseeing redistricting for Brazos County, elections administrator Trudy Hancock said. The Census Bureau reported the county’s population to be 233,849, seeing a growth of 17.6 percent since 2010, according to the Bureau’s QuickFacts website. “[The firm will] get information that is down to the granular level, such as how many warm bodies there are per house,” Hancock said. “They divide the county into census blocks, and that block information will be used to determine how many people are in a voting precinct.”

The county code requires the commissioner districts to be aligned within a 5 percent error of having the same number of voters, in order to ensure voters are represented equally between the four commissioners, Hancock said. On a smaller scale, the voting precincts

for Election Day must not exceed 5,000 people. Fortunately, elections administrators will not need to accommodate any increases in elected offices, Hancock said.

“As much growth as Brazos County is seeing, we need to be sure that we accommodate growth over the next ten years,” Hancock said.

Hancock, who oversaw the 2010 redistricting process for another county, said the process has been severely delayed by COVID-19.

“We should have received them early 2021,” Hancock said. “Normally, by about March or April or so it’ll get down to the county level who will then receive that information. It will probably cause a delay in the primaries, they probably will not be in March.”

Now in the hands of administrators across the country, the census data results suggest that the United States is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever before, potentially seeing a decrease in the white share of the population.

In an email to The Battalion, a representative of the Census Bureau, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the interpretation of these changes is complicated due to how race is reported.

“The U.S. Census Bureau collects race data in accordance with guidelines provided by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, or OMB, and these data are based on self-identification,” the Bureau spokesperson said in the email. “The racial categories included in the census questionnaire generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country and not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically or genetically.”

Since the questionnaire’s categories reflect social definitions, a person can self-identify as “White alone,” or “White in combination,” such as “White” and “American Indian,” the Bureau spokesperson said. Although the “White alone” population decreased by 8.6 percent since 2010, the “White in combination” population saw a 316 percent increase during the same period, according to the Bureau’s Frequently Asked Questions About Race and Ethnicity.

In light of the discrepancies in how race

is defined and new voting maps at the state result] says. One is, ‘What a great and rich and level, some representatives and advocates have diverse and interesting country we have.’ That voiced concerns that the drafts are already dis- if anything history has shown us [is] that our criminatory, according to the Texas Tribune. diversity enhances our democracy and who Texas Sen. Beverly Powell’s District 10 is we are. So there’s an exciting opportunity currently contained entirely within Tarrant within that,” Harden said. “The flip is that it’s County, which saw 53 percent of voters go to growing a lot of anxiety and concern withPresident Joe Biden in 2020 and a dramatic in- in the previously-predominant white popucrease in minority voters, according to a state- lation, [some of whom] are now concerned ment by Powell. The new map would place about losing voice and/or power. I think District 10 in the more conservative Parker those tensions between that opportunity and the anxiety about the opportunities will mean and Johnson counties.

“Over the years, when people have had the some challenges in terms of political conflict opportunity to vote and lots of change result- for the future.”

At the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute, ed, we saw more efforts made to imbalance the opportunities that many people of color, Harden said the goal is to support research in particular, had to represent themselves as and researchers who study topics like gerrymandering, well as their and how such interests,” dipolicies imrector of the pact educaRace and Ethnic Studies Intion, health, stitute at Texas housing and A&M Troy rights. KnowHarden said. ing that mi“And much of nority populathat discrimtions are only ination has growing in been racialized Texas, Harden and have been said the Instiefforts by poltute wants to iticians, mostprompt disly white, who cussions of have sought the changing efforts to maindynamics, as tain control of well as how to the voting probuild an equivia texas.gov cess.” table and just Harden, a The most recent proposal for the Texas State Senate society. professor of redistricting is displayed in the color-coordinated map.

“There are sociology, said often sophisas recently as the 2010 redistricting, the U.S. ticated ways that people will advance their Supreme Court declared district maps uncon- efforts to maintain control,” Harden said. stitutional in Texas. Despite people of color “Which means that there has to be greater admaking up 95 percent of Texas’ population vocacy on both the federal and the state level growth, according to the 2020 census results, to really be able to make sure that a policy, the new draft reduces the number of districts and similar decisions, are equitable and fair, in which they are the majority of eligible vot- and supportive of our democracy.” ers.

“I think there are two things [the census

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LIFE&ARTS

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The Battalion | 9.30.21

Thrifty business

Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION

Madaleine Merka, Class of 2021, is the owner of Nostalgia Novelties, an online antique shop.

Former student’s thrift shop supplies Aggie community with retro items

By Lauren Discher @laurendischer Aggie-owned small business Nostalgia Novelties offers sustainably sourced, preloved items for a reasonable price.

Run through Instagram by recent graduate Madaleine Merka, Class of 2021, Nostalgia

Novelties is an antique and thrift shop based in Bryan. Though it was started less than a year ago, the account has grown quickly, its followers now totalling almost 2,500, many of whom are fellow Aggies. Merka said the business will continue to branch out and is planning to attend local markets and other vendor events.

Born and raised in College Station, Merka said growing up here gave her an advantage because she knows the best spots in town.

“I’ve always loved thrifting,” Merka said.

“Before it really became a big thing, my family was always at garage sales and thrift stores, so it’s been a big part of my life.”

After years of collecting things, Merka said she realized she wanted to share her passion for thrifting with others.

“I wanted to share my style and things I find, but also emphasize the sustainability of it and how there are so many cool things out there, so you don’t have to buy everything new,” Merka said. “I hopped on the little trend of starting an Instagram shop and went

from there.”

In November of 2020, Merka said she began accumulating inventory in a corner of her room.

“Then I ended up taking over the bedroom of my first apartment, and now I’m in a house, so I have that second bedroom and the garage,” Merka said. “It’s been a learning curve for sure, learning about shipping and the ins and outs of running a small business, but it’s been a fun almost-year.”

Merka said her buying and selling process is relatively uncomplicated, but can be a huge time commitment.

“Of course, I go to thrift stores and garage sales and estate sales, but it’s kind of like a network of people that have scouted items that I reach out to,’’ Merka said. “I bring them back home and clean them up and then curate a drop, picking things that go together in a fun way. I’ve started getting into Reels on Instagram and previewing all the items and then making my Instagram drafts and posting them for sale.”

As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, Merka said Nostalgia Novelties will make more in-person appearances like her recent one as a vendor at 12th Jam. “It was a long day because we were there from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.,” Merka said. “It was honestly so fun to actually be able to interact with people instead of just messaging them and just getting a lot of exposure. I definitely did way better than I ever thought I would. It really inspired me to sign up for more events.

I have one coming up in October and two more coming up that I haven’t really announced yet. I’m loving just branching out a bit. It adds more of a personal experience.”

Customer Sasha Adams, Class of 2019, said her experience buying items from Nostalgia Novelties has always been positive because of Merka’s knowledge of the items and flexible local pickup.

“Nostalgia Novelties has the cutest vintage items and at a reasonable price,” Adams said.

“She is intentional about the pieces she chooses to showcase, and I truly believe that they’re one of a kind. She posts comparison prices, so you know that she’s done her research and knows what the item is actually worth. She’s a pleasure to work with.”

Also pleased with her experience, customer Margot Colville, Class of 2021, said her home decor might as well be sponsored by Nostalgia Novelties.

“I’ve gotten almost every home decor type item you can think of from her: shelves, framed art, plant stands, candlestick holders and more,” Colville said. “Everything has been so unique and in great condition.”

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NEWS

3

The Battalion | 9.30.21

Courtesy of Von’s Vision

Von’s Vision is operates through Student Health Services to assist low-income student with their optometry needs.

‘Giving kids the gift of sight’ Von’s Vision to offer free eyecare to current eligible Texas A&M students

By Nathan Varnell @newsncv Non-profit charity Von’s Vision returned to Texas A&M’s Student Health Services, or SHS, to offer students free eye exams and fashionable eyewear.

Launched in 2013 by former A&M linebacker Von Miller, Class of 2011, the program’s slogan is “Giving Kids the Gift of Sight.” Miller’s team will return on Oct. 19 and Nov. 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the A.P. Beutel Health Center, according to the SHS website.

Designed to assist low-income students and families, individuals must be undergraduate students eligible for financial aid and must not have vision insurance to qualify for the program.

“My primary goal is to get glasses on kids’ faces,” Miller said in a 2015 statement video.

“This is truly a cause dear to my heart. I’d

wanted glasses all my life.”

Miller expanded the program in 2018 to accommodate college students and offer glasses frames — not just exams — thanks to the donations of several former students, SHS director Dr. Martha Dannenbaum said.

“Von’s Locker is a place where people who already have a prescription [and] just need the glasses come and can pick out a pair of frames,” Dannenbaum said. “We send them off and get their glasses and then they come by and pick them up.”

Not having eyeglasses, or even an up-todate prescription, can severely impact someone’s ability to learn, Dannenbaum said, especially with the proliferation of eye-straining computers and screens.

“Some people feel like it’s a bit of a luxury,” Dannenbaum said. “Knowing the cost of an [eye] exam [and] getting good quality glasses is really sometimes out of reach for people who are just trying to pay rent and feed themselves.”

The “big vision” for the vision center’s partnership is looking toward a permanent optometry clinic and shop within the university

health service, which some other universities already offer, Dannebaum said. This clinic could also be available for students who don’t meet the current criteria for the program.

“It is a very important aspect of healthcare, as much as dental is and all the other things critical for the overall health of the individual,” Dannenbaum said.

One of the challenges Miller’s foundation has faced is consistently having optometrists available to assist with exams, Dannenbaum said. Currently, SHS utilizes members of the community who volunteer their time as a way to give back to those in need.

“Sometimes we’ve had to cancel events because they just didn’t have an optometrist available,” Dannenbaum said. “We’ve talked about the possibility of hiring an optometrist where their job is to do this program. If the dollars are there from the fundraising, then perhaps we’ll be able to ensure that we have an optometrist available so we’re not depending on the volunteer system.”

Kinesiology sophomore Riley Knight volunteered at the Sept. 21 event as part of Delta Gamma’s “Service for Sight” initiative,

another nationwide philanthropic initiative providing access and advocacy for the visually impaired since 1936, according to the sorority’s website.

“I never really thought of vision as a gift until I [joined] Delta Gamma,” Knight said.

“Then, being [at A&M], I’ve realized that there are so many students around me that might not be able to see the screen or be able to see their test.”

The event offers a wide variety of styles for glasses frames which might otherwise be too expensive at a regular clinic, Knight said. All students need to do for a vision screening and free glasses is sign up online and bring a copy of their financial aid award letter, she said.

“The ability to see and what Von’s Vision is doing — giving students free glasses — is very important,” Knight said.

Registration for the next event will open in October for those eligible. For general information, contact SHS marketing manager Alyssa Seivert at aseivert@shs.tamu.edu.

ARTSCRITICISM

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The Battalion | 9.30.21

via @spaceykacey on Instagram

Country music artist Kacey Musgraves released her latest studio album, “star-crossed,” on Sept. 10, featuring new sounds and raw lyrics.

Kacey Musgraves breaks new ground with ‘star-crossed’ Life & Arts editor Michaela Rush says new album bends country music genre “star-crossed” Artist/Band: Kacey Musgraves Release Date: Sept. 10 Length: 15 songs, 47:32 playtime

By Michaela Rush @Michaela4Batt Kacey Musgraves’ fifth studio album, “star-crossed,” was released on Sept.

10 and showcases her continual refresh of the country genre by adding in new auditory elements, without taking away from her signature sound.

Excusing her last non-Christmas album, “Golden Hour,” where Musgraves shared her story of falling in love, finding happiness and seeing everything in a new light, this album offers a darker half, “golden hour faded black,” as she says in “what doesn’t kill me,” which unfortunately reflects much of her own life. In “star-crossed,” Musgraves lets in the hurt

and healing of a lost relationship, coupled with sounds the singer-songwriter hadn’t yet explored.

Totaling 47 minutes of playtime, Musgraves uses each of her new 15 songs to let audiences in on a new chapter of her life, exploring her emotions following her divorce from Ruston Kelly. What best establishes the album is the title itself, and as Musgraves sings within the first song, she “sets the scene” for what’s to come, both in her album and her life.

The album’s strongest aspect is that much like the healing process, it’s nonlinear but still explores all the topics of hurt, regret, blame, longing, loneliness and redemption that accompany moving past an old flame. In this way, Musgraves not only highlights her ability to capture a plethora of emotions simultaneously — “happy and sad at the same time” if you will — but also her own maturity.

Though her divorce is a devastating loss, Musgraves takes it in stride, showing off immense poise and posterity through an

immensely dark time.

Within the album, there is a motif of Spanish guitar, evident in the title track “star-crossed.” This style enters throughout the album in varying amounts, and during the first listen the guitar certainly packs a punch once the final track “gracias a la vida” plays, with heavy amounts of the sound and Musgraves blessing audiences with a song sung entirely in Spanish. Though this Spanish guitar is not a particularly familiar sound for Musgraves, it by no means feels out of place knowing her Texan, guitar-playing roots.

Also worth noting is the introduction of sounds not typically associated with Musgraves, especially the heavier electronic sounds like auto-tune and synthesized instruments. Though more heavy handed on the front half of the record, the choices to add the effects seem intentional, and while a new move for the artist, do not make her seem like any less of the creator fans have already

come to love.

Musgraves’ most unexpected element was an astonishing flute solo in the penultimate track “there is a light.” Though some critics have argued Musgraves is the first to implement the flute sound into a “country” genre, this technique is not new. This Marshall Tucker Band method hasn’t yet been heard in Musgraves’ music, but is certainly a welcome addition. Though not yet experienced in her music, the introduction of a new light soprano sound perfectly suits Musgraves, and by no means feels like a disruption of theme.

With this album, Musgraves breaks new ground for herself and for the “country” genre she is continually pushed into. This album isn’t country, it isn’t pop, it isn’t alternative or new age.

It’s simply Kacey.

Michaela Rush is a English junior and life & arts editor for The Battalion.

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OPINION

5

The Battalion | 9.30.21

OPINION Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION

Student ticket pull line is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kyle Field the week before home football games.

Student ticket pulling needs to go Columnist Sam Somogye argues against ticketing process for sports pass holders

Sam Somogye

I

@samsomogye

want you to imagine the following scenario: You wake up, the sun is still rising and there’s that eerie silence outside of a city that’s still mostly asleep. You’re exhausted and full of regret for not going to bed earlier. Sluggishly, you dread what you know will be hours wasted of your day standing in obnoxiously long lines. “Maybe it won’t be that bad this time,” you think to yourself.

You arrive at your destination to a sight of lines stretched for what seem to be miles. After choosing which line seems to be the shortest, you wait for hours to be met by snarky workers who make the oh-so-pleasant experience you just had even more enjoyable. Hastily, you get what you came for and get out as soon as possible.

Where did your imagination take you? Plausible answers would be getting something at the Department of Motor Vehicles, voting in a presidential election or getting the newest iPhone the day it comes out. Unfortunately for Aggies, all

those answers are incorrect. The scene I set was getting a student ticket for a Texas A&M football game.

I’ve experienced this too many times, and my hours of waiting in line have left me plenty of time to think about the whole process. The conclusion I have come to is that the ticket pulling process the 12th Man Foundation has created is outdated, unnecessary and needs to go.

To get a student ticket for a football game at Texas A&M, you need a couple of things: to be a registered student at A&M, a sports pass and common sense.

Unfortunately, the last point is one a lot of my peers are missing.

Ticket pulling is divided into separate days based on classification. If you’re a senior or graduate student, you get priority and are the first to pull on Mondays. Juniors pull on Tuesdays, sophomores on Wednesdays and freshmen on Thursdays. There is a way to pull on other days, though. This is what I like to refer to as the golden rule of ticket pulling and where common sense is thrown out the window. It’s the oneto-one ratio rule.

If you are a senior, you can pull for anyone in a grade below you; however, you must have one senior sports pass per

underclassman sports pass. So, if you had four senior passes and four junior passes, everyone would be good to go. If you had four senior passes and five junior passes, one of those juniors is out of luck and won’t be getting a ticket for that game.

Time and time again, this has led to backed up lines and what little efficiency the whole process had being thrown out the window. There is a solution that avoids the confusion of this process and leads to no long lines, though.

We live in the age of the internet, and it’s time the 12th Man Foundation and A&M incorporate student tickets into this age. This university needs to move to online ticket pulling.

I know, I’ve upset some of the Old Ags — which is nothing new anyway — but hear me out!

First and foremost, this is not an uncommon practice. Clemson University, for example, utilizes an online system much like many other universities. Some schools have even simpler methods, such as the University of Mississippi, who just use their student ID’s on game day to walk right into the stadium. As long as they have paid for their student ticket, they’re good to go.

Some of you may be thinking that an online system would lead to a crash, considering the massive student population we have, and that’s a legitimate concern. However, it should be kept in mind that the entire university went online for almost a full year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, thousands of students register for classes at the same time every single semester.

Frankly, I find it hard to believe the university could not move the process online.

And yes, everything would need to stay the same regarding classification and pull days, seniors would still pull on Mondays and so on and so forth; it would just be done online. You’d get your spot, have the tickets downloaded on your phone and show up ready to cheer on the Aggies on gameday.

The only thing that would change is waiting in long lines stretching from the ticket box to the Memorial Student Center and dealing with snarky student workers. I don’t know about y’all, but that sounds like a win in my book.

Sam Somogye is a political science senior and columnist for The Battalion.

SPORTS

6

The Battalion | 9.30.21

A&M seeks SEC redemption after Arkansas upset

FILE

The Aggies’ offensive line has struggled and is currently being led by Kenyon Green (bottom right), the only remaining member of the Maroon Goons.

Aggies to host first home SEC game of season agaisnt Mississippi State

By Kay Naegeli @kaynaegeli Last week, the Aggies had a serious reality check, losing to the Razorbacks for the first time since joining the SEC. No. 15 Texas A&M, 3-1, returns to Kyle Field with aspirations of redeeming itself in conference play against Mississippi State, 2-2, on Saturday, Oct. 2. In the matchups between the SEC West opponents since 2012, A&M leads the series 5-4 and is looking to widen the record. The Aggies have defeated the Bulldogs in the last two battles, and a victory on Saturday would hand them their first SEC win of the 2021 campaign.

In Week 4, LSU came out on top with a 28-25 win against Mississippi State, and A&M’s 11-game winning streak was snapped when Arkansas humbled A&M, 20-10. Prior to the upset, A&M’s most recent loss came from the hands of the 2020 National Champions, Alabama.

The maroon and white’s AP rank dropped eight spots after their discrediting performance

facing Arkansas. In A&M’s first SEC matchup of the season, the offense struggled to find its rhythm, and a lack of experience from key players prevented A&M from overcoming the deficit and battling back.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada continues to adjust to the intensity of SEC play, filling freshman quarterback Haynes King’s position after a season-pausing fractured tibia. Calzada has thrown for 609 yards in his past three games. Surrounding the developing play-caller is a young offensive line and a breakout group of receivers. A&M’s experienced running core is what seems to be keeping the offense afloat, and head coach Jimbo Fisher appears to be thoroughly impressed with their ability to execute.

“Our running backs are playing well,” Fisher said. “Isaiah [Spiller] is playing, I think, excellent football. [Sophomore running back Devon] Achane is very experienced, very smart and a really good player. We need some more guys to develop behind them … that we feel comfortable we can play. That group has been the most consistent by far.”

With the second-best scoring defense in the NCAA, A&M has proven that veteran leadership and youth talent create a deadly combination. Holding the No. 3 spot in fewest passing

yards allowed this season, A&M’s defense will be tested against Mississippi State’s Air Raid offense. To add to its resume, A&M’s defense has tolerated an average of 9.25 points per game and held its competitors to an average of 119.5 yards.

“It’s always our mentality to keep it a low scoring game,” junior safety Demani Richardson said. “We’re not worried about the offense scoring a lot of points, we’re just worried about doing our job and just focusing on executing the defense and just keep making our stops and doing what we have to do.”

Mississippi State’s pass-centric offense could create turmoil this weekend. Sophomore quarterback Will Rogers has already earned the No. 3 spot in total passing yards with 1,454 yards and 75.1 completion percentage.

Seven Bulldogs have documented over 100 receiving yards and allowed Mississippi State to be crowned as the No. 6 passing offense in the nation, averaging 363.5 yards per game.

Head coach Mike Leach’s airborne playstyle has created offensive success for the Bulldogs but neglected the run with under 63 rushing yards per game.

“Offensively, you know Mike [Leach] is going to throw it,” Fisher said. “It’s going to be a tough game, so we need to get cleaned

up, clean the mistakes up from [Arkansas] and get ready for Mississippi State.”

On the other side of the field, Mississippi State’s laborious SEC-caliber defense may provide Calzada with another tough challenge. Junior linebacker Jett Johnson leads the Mississippi State defense with 29 total tackles, and senior safety Fred Peters is not far behind with 27 total tackles. Mississippi State’s variation of talent goes to show that every SEC opponent will refuse easy scores and constantly apply pressure.

“We have a very tough opponent this week in Mississippi State,” Fisher said. “They are playing outstanding defense right now. They are experienced, they are physical upfront and they have a very physical secondary.”

The Aggies will host Mississippi State under the lights of Kyle Field for the SEC home-opener and first 6 p.m. game of the 2021 season.

“Being in front of the 12th Man is always an honor to step on the field,” junior wide receiver Ainias Smith said. “The environment itself, the fanbase, they’re going to be behind us. We just need their support at all times and just have confidence and faith in the offense, the defense and special teams, all phases of the game.”

WEEK 5: STAFF PICKS Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State Saturday, Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. on SEC Network

Myranda Campanella

Editor-in-Chief @MCampanella_

Nik Constantinou will kick the bad Bull right out of Kyle Field this weekend.

Julia Potts

Managing Editor @juliaapotts

Something something dog pun.

MYRANDA

JULIA JENNIFER

Jennifer Streeter

Co-Sports Editor @jennystreeter3

The Bulldogs are going to be in the doghouse.

Ryan Faulkner

Asst. Sports Editor @ryanfaulk03

The Bulldogs are all bark and no bite.

RYAN CASEY

KATHRYN

CORI

NATHAN

Casey Stavenhagen

Co-Sports Editor @CStavenhagen

Will Rogers might just pass for 2,000 yards on Saturday.

Cori Eckert

Head Page Designer @corieckert

Which kennel are they staying in?

Kathryn Miller

Asst. Life & Arts Editor @kathrynmiller0

Gonna side with the other “maroon and white” for this one.

Nathan Varnell

Asst. News Editor @newsncv

Who let the dogs out?

SPORTS

7

The Battalion | 9.23.21

AROUND THE SEC A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE FOR WEEK 5

By Grant Gaspard @grant_gaspard

Outside Kyle Field, Week 5 of the SEC West has several conference matchups that will be worth watching come Saturday. Featured is Arkansas coach Sam Pittman against his old colleague in Georgia, coach Kirby Smart, at Sanford Stadium, and a battle of the top-two quarterbacks in the nation in

No. 8 Arkansas @ No. 2 Georgia Saturday, Oct. 2 - Sanford Stadium - Athens, Ga. 11:00 a.m. CT on ESPN Georgia is coming off a monstrous victory against Vanderbilt for its fourth win overall and second conference win of the season.

The Bulldogs’ defense continued to prove their strength as they held the Commodores to only four first downs, 77 yards total and just 1.7 yards per play. Georgia looked to be even more impressive on the offensive side of the ball as they assembled 291 yards in the air, 241 yards on the ground and eight touchdowns. However, Arkansas will be coming off an even more impressive win as the Razorbacks took down Jimbo Fisher’s then-No. 7 Aggies, securing their first top10 ranking since 2012. Redshirt sophomore quarterback KJ Jefferson threw for 202 yards

and two touchdowns in the Southwest Classic. This included an 85-yard dime to junior receiver Treylon Burks early in the first, who finished with six receptions, 167 yards and a touchdown. The Razorbacks seem to be even more dominant on the defensive side of the ball as they rank third in passing defense, 144 yards per game, ninth in rushing defense, 123 yards per game and third in scoring defense, 14.5 points per game. In this conference matchup, expect a defensive battle from both teams in a game that comes down to the wire, but Georgia will pull through in the end with Junior quarterback JT Daniels leading the way.

Tuscaloosa. The third matchup includes LSU looking to extend its threegame win streak at home versus conference rival Auburn that is trying to find its next starting quarterback.

No. 12 Ole Miss @ No. 1 Alabama Saturday, Oct. 2 - Bryant-Denny Stadium - Tuscaloosa, Ala. 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS Alabama’s redshirt freshman quarterback Bryce Young threw for 313 yards, five touchdowns and completed 20 of his 22 passing attempts in the 63-14 victory against Southern Mississippi. Redshirt senior running back Brian Robinson Jr.’s absence didn’t seem to be an issue for the Crimson Tide as sophomore back-ups Roydell Williams and Jase McClellan ran for a combined 207 yards through 23 carries. Ole Miss will be traveling to Tuscaloosa after a bye week with three colossal wins under their belt. The last time these two teams faced off, junior quarterback Matt Corral had a field day with 365 yards in the air and

two touchdowns but fell short 63-48 after Alabama took off with the lead in the second half. Ole Miss is coming into this game leading the nation in total offense, averaging 635.3 yards per game and scoring offense with 52.7 points per game. In this matchup, expect a high-scoring game between the top two quarterbacks in the nation in Corral and Young. This will be a revenge story for Corral as he leads his team to an upset victory against the No. 1 ranking Crimson Tide. This would be the first time that one of Nick Saban’s former assistant coaches beat him.

Prediction: Ole Miss 56, Alabama 52

Prediction: Georgia 28, Arkansas 27

No. 22 Auburn @ LSU Saturday, Oct. 2 - Tiger Stadium - Baton Rouge, La. 8:00 p.m. CT on ESPN

LET’S BE FRIENDS

Myranda Campanella, Editor-in-Chief

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THE BATTALION

Julia Potts, Managing Editor Shelby McVey, Audience Engagement Abbey Santoro, Photo Chief Robert O’Brien, Asst. Photo Chief Aubrey Vogel, News Editor Nathan Varnell, Asst. News Editor Casey Stavenhagen, Sports Editor Jennifer Streeter, Sports Editor Ryan Faulkner, Asst. Sports Editor

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THE BATTALION is published Thursdays during the 2021 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.

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LSU is coming off a 28-25 win against Mississippi State, where sophomore quarterback Max Johnson led the way with 280 yards and four touchdowns for the Tigers.

Sophomore receiver Kayshon Boutte is a player to watch in this matchup as he has already picked up eight touchdowns this season, which is three more than he had total last season. Ed Orgeron’s offense is also perfect in the red zone, scoring 10 out of the 10 times the unit has reached it. Auburn is coming off its third win of the season after defeating Georgia State 34-24. After benching junior quarterback Bo Nix in the second half, sophomore transfer TJ Finley,

out of LSU, came in and secured the victory for Auburn. Finley threw for 97 yards and picked up a touchdown in the win against the Pounces. Still undecided, Finley may have a chance to start against his former school depending on how things work out this week. In this game, expect Auburn to have a big run game from Bryan Harsin’s offense that averages 260 yards per game.

LSU’s run defense has struggled the past few games, allowing 223 yards in the loss versus UCLA, which will lead ultimately to the 2019 National Champions’ downfall this Saturday.

Prediction: Auburn 35, LSU 17

SPORTS

8

The Battalion | 9.30.21

OPINION

Ryan Hartfiel — THE BATTALION

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada has the lowest completion percentage in the SEC.

A&M football’s offensive woes

are more than just Zach Calzada Aggies’ young offense lacks player connection, experience on field

By Casey Stavenhagen @CStavenhagen Texas A&M quarterback Zach Calzada has been a scapegoat for the Aggies after crumbling against Arkansas.

Calzada is certainly not without blame as his statistics place him near the bottom of the SEC’s barrel; however, the team showing hesitance to assign blame to any single specific issue suggests there is more at play than Calzada simply not being a “good enough” quarterback.

Even after coming into the season one

game late following the injury of Haynes King, Calzada has been sacked the most times of any quarterback in the SEC. Because of injuries on the team’s offensive line, two true freshmen and one redshirt freshman battled the Razorbacks’ defensive line in the trenches.

Being thrust into the role of starting quarterback on a team that narrowly missed the College Football Playoffs the year prior brings along high expectations, and while Calzada has not yet met those expectations, neither has the unit that should make his job easier, not harder.

“Calzada is a new guy. We need to play better around him,” A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “We have a young line. [Calzada] needs to be an eraser and clean things up.

Could he have run it more? Yes. He needs

to make some better decisions and keep his head up.”

The nature of college football necessitates quick roster turnovers, and the downfall of having a successful team is that many talented players leave for the NFL. The echoes of losing four out of the five members of 2020’s “Maroon Goons” offensive line unit still ring around Aggieland.

The group’s only returning starter, junior offensive lineman Kenyon Green, played three separate positions last Saturday against Arkansas. Between injuries upfront and the turnover of talent, Green has been called upon to be a leader to varying levels of success.

“Kenyon Green’s effectiveness has probably been compromised some,” Fisher said.

“It’s hard to move around like that as an of-

fensive lineman. We’re trying to get the best guys on the field. You have to.”

Such is football. The best guys are not always on the field. For a young quarterback, having a connection with receivers is important. Against Arkansas, Calzada was missing sophomore wide receiver Chase Lane and junior wide receiver Caleb Chapman. The result of lacking a solid connection was Calzada passing the ball to the backfield for 11 of his 20 completions, totaling only 44 yards.

“I feel like our main job right now is to make sure Zach is back there comfortable,” junior wide receiver Ainias Smith said. “He should be able to know that he can get the ball to us and we’re going to be able to do something with it. When it comes to getting open, I feel like we’ve got to work harder in practice.”

Notably light on the game’s stat sheet was tight end Jalen Wydermyer, who only caught one pass for 18 yards. In prior games, Calzada connected with the junior eight times for 105 yards.

Wydermyer has served as the consistent option when facing pressure for both of A&M’s quarterbacks, but with his presence lacking against Arkansas, Calzada was forced to turn to the less productive dump-off passes to the running backs. Fisher said, in addition to better protection from the offensive line, Wydermyer’s connection with Calzada is critical to A&M’s success.

“We’ve called lots of balls to [Wydermyer],” Fisher said. “We’ve missed some reads here and there. He should’ve caught some balls this weekend. It’s across the board and finding a rhythm on offense.”

As Calzada currently owns the lowest completion percentage in the SEC, as well as the second-lowest quarterback rating and yards per attempt, his performance could certainly be better. However, football is a multi-faceted sport — the team’s performance around Calzada is equally to blame.

Although Fisher did not comment on practices, Smith said A&M’s offensive issues stem from a lack of intensity in game preparation.

“You always go in with the expectation that you’re going to do big things, especially with the great players that we have,” Smith said.

“We just have to raise our standards — obviously higher than what they were. We have to demand those standards when it comes to practice. We’re not able to get by with the highs [and] lows that we have throughout practice.”

Now with the wake-up call of the season’s first loss out of the way, the Aggies will move on to host Mississippi State in Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 2. After one loss to Alabama in 2020, the Aggies built an 11-game winning streak that lasted 358 days before crumbling.

Junior defensive back Demani Richardson said A&M hopes to create the same success moving forward.

“It’s just one loss at the beginning of the season,” Richardson said. “We know we have mistakes we have to clean up, so we just know we have to make it an urgency.”

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SPORTS

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FILE

Gary Blair has won 77.6 percent of all basketball games he has coached according to 12thman.com.

Building champions on, off court Former A&M player Sydney Carter says Gary Blair is a “family man”

By Jennifer Streeter @jennystreeter3 On the front of A&M women’s basketball head coach Gary Blair’s desk is a nameplate that reads, “Gary Blair: Building Champions.”

Directly to the left is another desk filled with pictures of his family, including his wife and children.

Behind Blair’s chair on his extensive shelving unit, the coach is surrounded by elegantly framed photos of himself hugging former players. On the other side of his office, there is a photo of Blair surrounded by four of the former basketball players he coached during his first job at South Oak Cliff High School.

Blair wears his heart on his sleeve. The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame member radiates a level of pride in the athletes he has helped achieve excellence. Blair also holds his memories with his family just as dearly and has implemented a level of familial bonding in his coaching style to assist him in building champions.

Early life Blair was born in Dallas on Aug. 10, 1945.

After graduating from Dallas Bryan Adams High School in 1963 — where he was an allcity baseball player — Blair went into the U.S. Marine Corps for a two-year tour in Okinawa.

After the conclusion of his tour and a brief stint running restaurants in Costa Mesa and Culver City, both subdivisions in Los Angeles, Blair utilized his G.I. Bill to attend Texas Tech University. As a Red Raider, he earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, minoring in journalism. Additionally, Blair played one season of baseball as a center fielder at Texas Tech.

Blair, who completed his master’s degree in education at Tech in 1974, said it was there he learned to find his passion.

“All of [college] comes into focus,” Blair said. “And you put it all together and you have to experience failure, you have to learn from your situation. I had to learn that I wasn’t good enough in baseball when I got to college; I had to learn I was only going to be average in architecture, so I wanted to find something I wanted to be good at.”

South Oak Cliff High School While pursuing his master’s, Blair initially had the job of being the boy’s P.E. teacher and, following his tenure as a high school and collegiate baseball player, sought the boy’s baseball coaching position at South Oak Cliff High School. The school was located in the

south and east areas of the Oak Cliff neighborhood.

Instead, he received an offer to start up and coach the girl’s basketball and boy’s and girl’s golf teams. Without hesitation, Blair accepted.

As the girl’s basketball coach, he led South Oak Cliff to a 239-18 record and five consecutive state tournament appearances. Under his tutelage, the Golden Bears won the 1977, 1978 and 1980 State Class 4A championships.

After winning his first state championship in 1977, Blair was offered the head baseball

FILE

The women’s basketball team is coming off a Sweet 16 loss, beginning the 2021 season against Oklahoma Baptist.

coaching position he originally sought but declined it in favor of continuing with the women’s basketball team.

Blair said he has no regrets about that decision.

“Girls back then, God, they just wanted information,” Blair said. “They wanted the opportunity to play. I was offered the job, I took it and I loved it.”

Blair concluded his time at South Oak Cliff in 1980 and was inducted into the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame to commemorate his accomplishments.

While at South Oak Cliff, Blair coached his first All-American, Barbara Brown McCoy. McCoy wasn’t just Blair’s first All-American, though; she was also the first All-American to ever come from Dallas ISD, McCoy said.

“Even when I was doing good, he wanted me to do better,” McCoy said. “And then when I got better, he wanted me to do my best. He always pushed all of us to be our best.”

McCoy and Blair still maintain a close relationship, with the former defensive player

being one of the four high school players in the photo that lies upon a coffee table in the film portion of his office.

McCoy said growing up, and now, Blair was, and is, like a dad to her, as well as all of his other players.

“He’s a family man in that he was a father figure in my life,” McCoy said. “And not for just me, for all of the players that played for him. He was a very stern disciplinarian, and he cared about us off the court as well as on the court. He expected and demanded the best for us, as players and as people.”

Family Life After a divorce between Blair and his wife of 30-plus years, Blair married Kyla Gay in 2020. He is a stepfather to her two children, Callie and James, and is also a father to Paige and Matt Blair from his previous marriage with Nan Smith. He also has four grandchildren: Logan, Lola, Landry and Reagan.

More recent national champion turned coach Sydney Carter said she sees Blair’s family life influence him on the court daily. “[His family] helps him to properly deal with a team full of women, but it also allows him to be sort of an extension of father to a lot of our kids,” Carter said.

Blair has found additional support with his career through his wife of two years, Kyla.This has also been a great help to Blair as of late, learning from Kyla’s own work ethic has easily translated into Blair’s coaching methods, he said. “[Kyla’s] support, her knowledge of me and also how hard she’s worked to put her kids through college at A&M and how her kids worked at A&M doing other jobs,” Blair said. “She came from a hardworking family, and she’s just been very supportive because she’s a sports person just like me.”

Despite Blair having a private wedding ceremony with Kyla, he ensured to have someone from the Texas A&M women’s basketball family in attendance at the reception. Carter was in attendance, and said the only reason more A&M women’s basketball players weren’t also at the reception was due to the strict bubble enforced on A&M athletes at the time due to COVID-19.

Building the Aggies with a “family” motto From 1980 to 1985, Blair served as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech, where he helped lead the team to a 159-10 record.

After, Blair took his first head coaching position at Stephen F. Austin University, where

he worked from 1985 to 1993 with a 21043 record. His final coaching job prior to becoming an Aggie was from 1993 to 2003 with Arkansas, who he led to a 198-120 record, Blair’s lowest winning percentage of his career.

This could not be more opposite of his legendary contributions to A&M’s statsheet, notably coaching the Aggies to an NCAA National Championship in 2011.

According to Carter, Blair’s implementation of the program’s motto to simply be “family” has also contributed to the great success of the former National Championships. There is no doubt that this is a result of his time at South Oak Cliff and his ties with his own family, Carter said.

“A lot of people don’t get to see how much of an actual family man he is,” Carter said. “I think people see the coaching side of him, but the fact that our motto is family, he really is a family man in his own right.”

With the Aggies, Blair has served as head coach from 2003 until present, leading the Aggies to a current 343-188 record and a .776 winning percentage. As a result of this and his overall career, Blair has received seven honors: - Six-Time Conference Coach of the Year 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2007 - Three-Time Naismith Coach of the Year Finalist 2003, 2007, 2021 - Five-Time Texas Coach of the Year 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2018 - Two-Time National Coach of the Year 1995, 2006 - Seven-Time Hall of Fame Inductee 2002, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2019 - 2011 New York Athletics Club Winged Foot Award - 2013 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee McCoy said, as is the case with nearly all of Blair’s players, she holds a great deal of love and respect for Blair, the man who built her into a champion.

“I love that man, as a person, as a coach and everything he has done for me,” McCoy said.“Nothing will ever change that. He will always be that father figure to me.”

A&M women’s basketball is coming off of a Sweet 16 finish in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Blair led the Aggies to a 25-3 overall recording during the 2020-21 season. A&M’s 2021-22 season starts on Nov. 3 in an exhibition match against Oklahoma Baptist.

A&M women’s basketball to have 12 televised games Aggies, SEC regular season champions to return to Reed

By Jennifer Streeter @jennystreeter3 Texas A&M women’s basketball is the reigning Southeastern Conference regular season champion. As a result, 12 of the team’s games will be nationally televised, per a press release sent to The Battalion on Wednesday, Sept. 29.

Six of these games will be televised from College Station: Dec. 5 versus Texas Dec. 30 versus Vanderbilt Jan. 16 versus Auburn Feb. 3 versus Arkansas Feb. 20 versus Alabama Feb. 24 versus South Carolina The other half of A&M’s schedule to be nationally televised is as follows: Jan. 6 at Tennessee Jan. 13 at South Carolina Jan. 23 at Missouri

Jan. 30 at Mississippi State Feb. 6 at Kentucky Feb. 17 at Ole Miss

The Aggies were eliminated in the Sweet 16 during the 2020-21 season, finishing with a 25-3 overall record and a 13-1 conference record.

Junior guard Jordan Nixon said in a press conference after defeating Iowa State in the round of 32 the maroon and white will always remember their 2020-21 season prior to their final loss against Arizona in the Sweet 16.

“These are the moments you remember

with your teammates,” Nixon said. “We’re always going to remember this day, this year and this tournament.”

All other games taking place at Reed Arena will be streamed on SEC Network+.

A&M set a program best winning percentage during last year’s slate, with 89.3 percent.

The maroon and white return eight players from last year’s squad, two of which are guards junior Jordan Nixon and graduate student Kayla Wells.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2021 STUDENT MEDIA

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New year, clean slate

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

This is Jim Schlossnagle’s first season with the Aggies following his 20-year tenure with Texas Christian University.

New Texas A&M baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle experienced “Olsen Magic” at fall camp’s opening

By Ryan Faulkner @ryanfaulk03

W

hen Texas A&M baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle stepped onto Olsen Field on Tuesday, Sept.

21, several things caught his attention — the smell of freshly cut Tifway 419 Bermuda grass, trimmed with precision around the base path; the humming sound of a pitching machine near home plate, warming up after months of inactivity; the theatrics of Kyle Field looming past the outfield, just behind a yellow freight train billowing smoke as it chugs across the tracks.

These are the things that define A&M’s Bluebell Park, contributing to the baseball program’s aura of “Olsen Magic.” For fans of the maroon and white, this magic is only experienced on game days, thought to lie dormant outside of the spring. But for the players, the magic never dies, acting as motivation while training across the offseason.

And to Schlossnagle, the Olsen Magic is a brand new experience altogether.

The first day of the Aggies’ fall training camp marked the first day Schlossnagle officially led the program, giving the coach his first true taste of the magic long thought to be the source of the maroon and white’s success.

Luckily for him, many of the most successful runs in collegiate athletics were founded upon humble beginnings.

For the A&M baseball program to follow a similar trajectory, it must start small and build from the bottom up. Last season, the Aggies

put on a lackluster spring showing, going 2927 with a 9-21 conference record. This .300 winning percentage in the Southeastern Conference caused A&M to miss out on the SEC Tournament for the first time since joining the league in 2013. The campaign finished with the Aggies, breaking their 13-year streak of competing in the NCAA Tournament.

The end of A&M’s season also saw the departure of former head coach Rob Childress, who was succeeded by then-Texas Christian head coach Schlossnagle. The new head of the program brought with him his own coaching staff as well as a youthful set of players, shaking up A&M’s previous roster almost beyond recognition.

While many would see this drastic change as a hindrance, senior infielder Austin Bost said he believes the turnover gives A&M the opportunity to perform well and eventually return to the postseason.

“We can definitely fly under the radar because nobody knows what to expect,” Bost said. “We have a bunch of new guys, a bunch of new chemistry together, and we’re going to go out there and win some ball games.”

The group referenced by Bost includes a set of nine new transfers to A&M, all hailing from major baseball programs around the country.

The new faces include senior right-handed pitcher Trey Dillard, who was drafted in 2018 by the Los Angeles Dodgers but instead opted to join the Missouri Tigers, and sophomore ace pitcher Xavier Lovett from Mississippi State.

But the transfers aren’t the only fresh faces set to fill seats in A&M’s dugout. Once the final recruit moves to College Station, freshmen will make up nearly one-third of the overall roster, with 17 recent high school graduates soon to suit up. These players spent the summer in the Brazos Valley as part of 12th Man Athletics’ Summer Bridge Program, set to help incoming athletes with their transition

into collegiate-level play.

Sophomore shortstop Kalae Harrison said this gives him hope for the team’s eventual success, as the new freshmen get to experience what the athletes who came to A&M earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic could not.

“Last year was tough,” Harrison said.

“I didn’t realize how big the [Summer] Bridge Program was for [the freshmen], with them coming early in the summer and lifting. We didn’t have any of that because of COVID[-19]. We just kind of jumped right away into fall practice. We had to learn as we [went].”

After the program concluded, the team turned its sights toward personal improvement. This meant long periods of time in the weight room, intense trainings on the field and various sets of “skill hours,” Harrison said.

Though the players come from three distinct groups — incoming freshmen, transfers and returning players — Schlossnagle said they are all on an even footing to compete for a starting position. While he has expectations for a few select players to start, including Harrison, Schlossnagle said each position on the field is “up for grabs” to anyone on the roster.

“Nothing is guaranteed,” Schlossnagle said.

“I’ve tried to come into it with a clean slate.

For the most part, we’re going to do that every year. Right now, [the lineup] is wide open, and I think that’s been great.”

Along with the players, A&M’s first day of fall training showcased another new aspect of the program: the staff itself. Schlossnagle’s hiring fundamentally changed the coaching styles valued by the team, forcing the players to make adjustments during the offseason.

Bost said he believes learning from new coaching perspectives will allow the Aggies to improve as a team.

“We’re learning new stuff, like the fundamentals that [Schlossnagle] wants us to do,” Bost said. “He has brought us together. It’s

more day-to-day, working on our mental game a lot more than we did last year. That’s going to help us a lot.”

Schlossnagle said he is encouraged by his players adopting this “hungry” attitude to better improve their gameplay.

“I think the whole bunch has been super open to change and super open to a new coaching staff,” Schlossnagle said. “They’re asking a lot of questions. Everybody’s been coachable. They’ve picked up on the structure of how we like to do things, and if we stick with that, I think we’ll become the best version of ourselves that we can possibly be.”

A&M will first test the new playing and coaching styles in a pair of exhibition games slated for October. The Aggies will face the Houston Cougars on Friday, Oct. 8 and the Lamar Cardinals on Friday, Oct. 22. Both exhibition games will be played at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.

Though they have no influence on the team’s next official campaign, Schlossnagle said these matchups are of paramount importance. “[Exhibition games] are important for every team, but especially [for] the way in which we’re doing them this year,” Schlossnagle said. “[Playing at Olsen Field as an Aggie for the first time] will be exciting for me, personally. I’m excited to be in this ball park wearing maroon instead of a different color and with a home crowd. I want to see how the new players specifically are going to react to that.”

Only time will tell if the new head coach, support staff and eventual starting lineup will help A&M’s performance in the 2022 spring season. But until then, Bost said he will remain confident in what he believes the Aggies can accomplish.

“We’re just going to get this fall started and get things rolling,” Bost said. “I think we’re a team to beat this year.”