The Battalion — April 14, 2022

THURSDAY, APRIL 14 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2022 STUDENT MEDIA

INSIDE THIS EDITION

NEWS: TIRES STOLEN

OPINION: GRAD TICKETS

LIFE & ARTS: MIDDLEWAY

AROUND TOWN, PG. 2

NOT ENOUGH, PG. 5

MONESTARY, PG. 7

Accessibility for all Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Sophomore infielder Jack Moss drops the bat and runs to third base after hitting a groudball.

Aggies to face No. 10 Bulldogs in road series After successful start to season, A&M baseball heads to Georgia

By Ryne Ryskoski @rusty_ryskoski_ Past the halfway point of the season, Texas A&M baseball sits at a 6-6 record in SEC play and 20-12 overall with four out of five ranked wins.

But, over the next two weeks, the Aggies will enter a brutal stretch of high-quality opponents in the first elongated test for coach Jim Schlossnagle and his first-year team. Starting Thursday, April 14, A&M begins a road series against No. 10 Georgia, who is 17-2 in Athens, Ga., this season.

The Bulldogs have five men batting over .300, three who get on-base at over .450 and a definite No. 1 pitcher in 6-foot-6 junior Jonathan Cannon. But, he’s one of four Georgia pitchers to be bitten by the injury bug, and it’s unclear if he’ll return for this upcoming series.

Cannon is an integral part of Georgia’s success, as he owns the SEC’s third-best ERA and opposing batting average at 1.71 and .171, respectively.

Schlossnagle said it’ll be an uphill battle, BASEBALL PREVIEW ON PG. 6

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Agricultural leadership and development senior Ty Sutton and recreation, parks and tourism sciences professor Chad Nelson collaborated to install a wave-plate motion sensor at doors of the AgriLife Sciences Building.

With help from professor, Ty Sutton is paving way for convenient campus access for students of all abilities

By Myranda Campanella @MCampanella_

A

lthough ramps and automatic doors may appear to solve accessibility issues for people with disabilities, “The world is not designed for everyone,” recreation, parks and tourism sciences professor Chad Nelson said.

The federal Americans with Disabilities Act protects people with disabilities from discrimination and requires at least 60% of

public entrances in newly constructed buildings be accessible. However, these entrances are not required to have automatic doors to be considered legally “accessible.” On Texas A&M’s campus, a look at the Accessible Entrances legend on Aggie Maps shows nearly every building on campus has at least one Powered Accessible entrance. Most of these entrances have a “push to open” automatic door opener.

Yet, accessibility does not equate to convenience for all.

For Ty Sutton, an agricultural leadership and development senior, not every building on campus is accessible for him, despite meeting ADA compliance. Sutton was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 2, a genetic neuromuscular disorder which causes progessive muscle weakness, at two years old and has used a wheelchair his entire life.

Automatic doors are a necessity for him

to independently access buildings while in his wheelchair, but due to Sutton’s particular disability, he is not able to reach the push buttons by himself.

Usually, Sutton said he has to wait for someone to come and open the door for him, or some semesters he’s had professors who ask their teaching assistant to get the door for him, though he said this is an inconvenience for everyone involved and can sometimes take time.

“I’ve never missed a class, but I’ve definitely been late to class, several times actually, [at] different buildings,” Sutton said.

One class Sutton was often late to last fall semester due to the building’s inaccessibility was his Understanding and Developing Effective Skills for Youth Development class with professor Nelson in Room 116 of the ACCESSIBILITY ON PG. 6

LGBTQ+ community grows concerned by new legislation

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Student Body President-elect Case Harris prepares to take office for the 75th Session of the A&M Student Senate.

Saying Howdy to Harris Finance junior Case Harris shares plan to teach, promote traditions

By Aubrey Vogel @aubrey_vogel After being elected on March 4, finance junior Case Harris will begin his role as Texas A&M’s student body president for the 75th Session of the Student Government Association, or SGA, beginning Thursday, April 21.

Harris’ platform focused on connecting students to on-campus opportunities, advocating for the student support and increasing tradition education, which he said is a huge goal of his going into this next year as the student body president. After voicing his goals during his campaign to the student body, Harris said he is looking forward to being a servant to the student population as he follows through on campaign promises.

“What I want to focus on is just having follow-through; it’s easy in a campaign to go up there and make a bunch of promises and say what voters want to hear. Follow-through is so important to actually be effective, and there’s a lot that goes into follow-through,”

Harris said. “It’s continuing to brainstorm and have good ideas, it’s listening to students, it’s work ethic and really just being determined and having a mission.”

Having the long-standing goal to become student body president, Harris said he is honored to have been selected to serve the university and its students.

“It’s been a goal for a long time, just to be able to serve [A&M] and give back to [the university] that has given me so much, just learning so many lessons and getting to know so many incredible people and find community,” Harris said. “I’m so excited now to be able to turn around and help try to create that for for other students because that’s one of the things that makes A&M so great is we [have] students that come in and gain and learn so much.”

With many campus connections through his membership in various student organizations, Harris said he believes he has been able to get many perspectives of what students are looking for on campus. Additionally, with his involvement in Fish Aides and Gilbert Leadership Conference, Harris said he has been able to see the inner workings of SGA. “I’ve been involved in a lot of different HARRIS ON PG. 2

Photo courtesy of LGBTQ+ Pride Center

After Florida passed controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill and legislation proposed in Texas through SB 1646, Aggies react.

Students, community concerned with recently proposed legislation

By Kenzie Finch @KenzieFinch6 As more bills continue to be proposed regarding the LGBTQ+ community, supporters and opponents have shared their thoughts on increasing legislation regarding sexual orientation.

Nearly 240 bills have been filed across the United States in 2022 surrounding the LGBTQ+ community. Florida, Idaho and Texas are some of the states currently proposing bills which have been deemed anti-LGBTQ+. Bills such as Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill, passed on March 8, prevents talk of sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott’s proposed Senate Bill 1646 would consider gender-affirming care for transgender kids child abuse. Students at Texas A&M and members of the community have spoken out about what this type of legislation could mean for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Landon Sadler, co-president of the

LGBTQ+ graduate group at A&M, said this bill silences children who do not feel safe at home.

“What we’re seeing is that there are adults who are benefiting politically from harming these children and encouraging them to take a step toward suicide,” Sadler said. “These policies make their lives really unlivable.”

Transcend is a student organization advocating for transgender and non-binary individuals at A&M. Visualization junior Frey Miller, president of Transcend, said this bill is based on misinformation regarding what sexuality and sexual orientation is.

“Heterosexuality could be considered a sexual orientation,” Miller said. “This is something that kids are exposed to constantly from the day they are born.”

Political science freshman Carson Wolf, a member of Turning Point USA, said he believes the bill’s function is to give power back to parents over how their kids are educated on sexual subjects.

“Strangers should have no place in educating children and exposing them to these sexual narratives,” Wolf said. “I don’t care if it’s heterosexual or homosexual; I don’t think either of them should be pushed on children.

LGBTQ+ ON PG. 3

NEWS

2

The Battalion | 4.14.22

Wheels of misfortune Students, residents raise concerns after local cases of wheel, rim theft

By Kyle McClenagan @KMcclenagan One of the last things most people want when they’re running late for class or work is to find that their mode of transportation no longer possesses the means to get them from Point A to Point B. According to the College Station Police Department, from October 2021 to December 2021, there were 30 reports of wheel and rim theft, with 18 reports filed so far in 2022.

From the Northgate area to Wellborn Road, the sight is often the same: a car hastily rested on cinder blocks with exposed rotors sitting where its wheels once were, leaving the owner not only frustrated, but often confused as to how it occurred and what to do next.

When material and science engineering junior Gary Nuñez had his wheels stolen, he said his first reaction was irritation.

“I was just very mad about it for about two minutes, and then I realized, ‘Well, I can’t really be mad about this,’” Nuñez said. “The anger just kind of quickly went away, and I just started dealing with it, figuring out what to do next.”

Aside from the obvious absence of the wheels, Nuñez said his vehicle also suffered body damage from the theft.

“The frame is kind of damaged on both sides because of the bricks, and then the plastic that’s on the bottom part of the car is all damaged as well,” Nuñez said.

While Nuñez said his insurance was able to have his car rolling again that same day, he still had to pay his deductible, which can be costly.

“The deductible was $500 for the wheels and then another $500 for any other damages,” Nuñez said.

After talking with his insurance, Nuñez said he got the impression this situation was common.

HARRIS CONTINUED organizations across campus and really have gotten to see a lot of students [and] get to know a lot of different perspectives,” Harris said. “The most important thing for an SBP is that they know the heartbeat of Texas A&M, of our campus and they can understand and relate to students and represent them.”

After seeing all of the work the team put into the campaign, Count on Case campaign manager and psychology senior Annie Wagner said it was exciting to hear Harris’ name called at the 12th Man statue at the election announcements.

“It was one of the most exciting days of college for me to watch [Harris’] name get announced as the new SBP. It’s exciting, and I’m really proud of him, and I know that he will do an incredible job,” Wagner said. “It’s a really sweet and surreal thing that he is fulfilling the dream that he’s had for a long time, and that was one of my favorite parts of working on the campaign team was just getting to help someone achieve a dream of theirs.”

Throughout the campaign, Wagner said she saw Harris relate with those in the campus community, and believes his ability to bond with his peers will help him be a strong leader.

“Case is a relator and that’s a huge part of being the student body president is just relating, while also leading in humility,” Wagner said. “He is probably one of the most humble, hardworking and relating people that I know, and I am just excited to watch him work really hard and also listen really well.”

Harris said he hopes to further inform students about A&M’s traditions and history, and help find ways to ensure all students feel welcome every step of the way at all Aggie traditions.

“Those motivations are really to enhance traditions, and just the Aggie Spirit here on campus and just cultivate that and see that increase even more, especially on areas [on] campus where it may or may not be as pres-

“Apparently, this happens quite a bit … the guy who came into our place said that he comes up here like three to four times a week to do this,” Nuñez said.

Nuñez said he decided not to file a police report because he didn’t think the police could do anything about the stolen wheels.

“I talked to other people who had the same problem in College Station and they all said that when they filed police reports all of them got dropped within three or four days,” Nuñez said. “I also asked my insurance if a police report was even necessary, and they said it wasn’t.”

Jonathan E. Shugart, a public information officer for the College Station Police Department, said it’s important to always report these crimes as soon as they are able.

“Yes, absolutely they need to report it,” Shugart said. “We look at all of those reports and you’ll never know if someone down the road might have a video or something, but if we have no idea something occurred in that area then we don’t know to maybe go look in that area.”

Having the information reported is often key to solving these crimes, Shugart said.

“We really encourage people, [if they] see something, to say something,” Shugart said.

“If they think it’s a little bit off, call us, and [we’ll get] other patrol guys to go over there.

Via Twitter @notgarii We’ve seen, over the course of the last couple of years, an increase in that and an increase [in] Students and College Station residents have been increasingly concered about wheel theft success in patrol officers either stopping the after 18 reported cases this year. crime before it’s fully committed or actually “It’s quick. Thieves can steal unlocked theft.” catching up to them shortly after.” wheels in a matter of minutes,” the email Nuñez said he immediately bought wheel State Farm’s public affairs specialist Gina reads.

“They are easy to sell … there’s no selocks following the theft to mitigate future Eilken said while the company does not track rial or tacking numbers on wheels to verify thefts, and encourages them to do the same. the number of wheel and tire thefts reported, if they were stolen, [and] it’s good money.

“I have wheel locks now, but other than it does cover it in some cases.

Depending on the model, a set of wheels can that, I don’t really know what else to do,” “Comprehensive auto coverage will in be sold for anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000.”

Nuñez said. most cases cover those types of losses or The email from State Farm also provided Crimes of any kind can be reported to the thefts,” Eilken said. tips on how drivers can mitigate their risks.

College Station Police Department via its In a follow up email to The Battalion, Ei“If possible, park inside a closed garage,” website. lken said this type of crime is common for a the email reads. “For the theft of wheels/tires, few reasons. consider getting wheel locks to help prevent

ent,” Harris said.

Wagner said she was especially impressed with Harris’ focus on tradition education as one of his campaign promises.

“Knowing how unique that [traditions are] to Texas A&M and how it binds everyone as an Aggie together and is a very inclusive point. I just love that because you can connect with literally anyone [with] the traditions of A&M,” Wagner said. “Making sure that everyone knows [A&M traditions] and understands the importance of them [makes] them feel a part of the Aggie family. I just think that one is just so special and near and dear to Texas A&M specifically.”

With another class of freshmen getting ready to step foot on campus this summer for their new student conferences, Harris said a huge part of his role as student body president is to advocate for new students and make them feel comfortable on campus.

“That’s a huge thing for me, and there’s two ways to do that. One through traditions, we have a lot of ideas with traditions, like implementing more tradition education,” Harris said. “Then the other thing is A&M has so many organizations and opportunities, and things to be a part of. Anything you’re interested in or passionate about, there is something for you to join and get involved in here at our school. I really want to connect students to those opportunities. All the goals are to try to get students more involved and plugged in if they want to be and just make sure they’re aware of all the opportunities that are out there.”

Over the past academic year, 2021-22 Student Body President Natalie Parks said the 74th Session has focused time and energy on outreach and visibility on how SGA works with different councils, representative bodies, organizations, administration, faculty and staff.

Parks said she encourages Harris to continue this as he takes the reins of student body president for the upcoming year.

“If I were to give advice to [Harris], it would be and has been in our transition meet-

ings, focus on continuing to build those relationships because having authentic levels of trust in any relationship is going to help you achieve your goals, and accomplish whatever your vision is,” Parks said. “I will always harp on the importance of relationships, and especially in this role, it is critical to continue to grow those in the best way possible.”

In order to bridge the gap between the 74th and 75th sessions, Harris said he hopes to continue to build on the objectives Parks has worked on, including mental health initiatives.

“It would be a shame if [each year we] stopped and completely went to other things and ignored all the work the last SBP did because you can only get so much done in a year,” Harris said. “If we can keep building off of each other . . . that could be huge, we can make a lot of progress.”

From the outside looking in at Harris’ campaign, Parks said she could see how hard he worked while formulating and running his campaign.

“For anybody putting themselves out there to serve in this role, you have to have a profound amount of dedication, drive and commitment to not only the students, but also whatever you’re running on. You’re trying to convince them that your vision is the best for the students and I think that he did a fantastic job of that,” Parks said. “I think that his passion, his determination and his dedication — toward the goals that he was running on and the goals that he has set for his vision going forward — are going to benefit the student body.”

To help create a sense of open communication with the student body, Harris said he plans to have an open door policy for this office in the John J. Koldus Building, and he also plans to partner with other student leaders to host town halls where students can come to discuss and provide input on important issues on campus like parking and other student services.

“The whole purpose of a student body

president is to take the students’ opinions and voices and communicate that to administrators or people who are actually making decisions,” Harris said. “My job is to advocate on behalf of students and that’s what I’m gonna do. I think we need [a] student body president who’s willing to stand up for students and student rights and that’s something I’m so excited and more than willing to do.”

No matter what he does in his time in office, Harris said he wants to ensure every student can be successful and the university is improving to meet the needs of current and future students.

“I am looking forward to serving Texas A&M, serving our students, advocating on behalf of our students, that’s all so exciting to me,” Harris said. “The two overarching goals I had throughout this whole thing, the two driving factors, was to set up every student here at A&M to win and then to advance Texas A&M however I can — those are the two motivating factors still.”

As he gets ready to take on the role as student body president, Harris said he hopes to inspire students to create the A&M experience they want as he has done for himself along the way.

“I’m so proud and excited to be an Aggie.

I just love this place so much and I want to see [students] continue to thrive,” Harris said. “[I am] so humbled and honored to be able to serve A&M and serve the students. I’m here for the students, that is why I’m in this role.

I’m not not in it for myself. I’m in it for Texas A&M University, and then for the students that are here. I want them to always feel like they can approach me with whatever thoughts or opinions they have. I just want students to feel free to use student government and use me as the student body president to be able to communicate what they want for the university, and then we can communicate that through administration.”

LET’S BE FRIENDS Myranda Campanella, Editor-in-Chief Julia Potts, Managing Editor Lauren Discher, Audience Engagement & Special Sections Editor Robert O’Brien, Photo Chief Ishika Samant, Asst. Photo Chief Aubrey Vogel, Co-News Editor Michaela Rush, Co-News Editor Kyle McClenagan, Multimedia Editor & Asst. News Editor Grant Gaspard, Asst. Podcast Editor

Cori Eckert, Design Editor & Business Manager Casey Stavenhagen, Sports Editor Kay Naegeli, Asst. Sports Editor Jordan Epp, Asst. Sports Editor Caleb Powell, Opinion Editor Nathan Varnell, Asst. Opinion Editor Kathryn Miller, Life & Arts Editor Caroline Wilburn, Asst. L&A Editor

@THEBATTONLINE

THE BATTALION is published Thursdays during the 2021 spring 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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THE BATTALION

NEWS

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The Battalion | 4.14.22

The Battalion is hiring!

All undergraduate, graduate students in any major encouraged to apply

By Lauren Discher @laurendischer For any interested undergraduate or graduate students, The Battalion is hiring reporters as well as photographers, video and podcast producers, page designers, graphic artists and audience engagement specialists. The following desks are hiring reporters: News, Life & Arts, Sports, Opinion and Arts Criticism. No prior experience is required, and all new hires will be trained to professional journalism standards.

Applications can be found at tx.ag/battapp and can be emailed to editor@thebatt.com or dropped off in person in MSC L400.

Despite recent trials and a less-than-certain future, former writers and editors emphasize the journalism experience The Battalion provides as an unparalleled opportunity for growth.

The Battalion, or The Batt as devoted readers may refer to it, has been the independent student newspaper of Texas A&M since 1893.

The publication reports on matters concerning the university and the surrounding area and provides a platform for student expression.

Available both online and in print, The Battalion has expanded to releasing weekly podcasts and quarterly Maroon Life magazines, giving students the opportunity to learn valuable skills in various forms of media.

LEGISLATURE CONTINUED However, Katrina Stewart, executive director of the Bryan-College Station Pride Community Center, said this is a public health issue and should not be discussed only in the home.

Parents have the right to teach their kids their values, and the responsibility to teach and prepare them for reality. If parents aren’t doing this, then schools need to, Stewart said.

“The critics say that there’s nothing in the bill saying ‘gay’ or anything like that — that’s precisely the point,” Stewart said. “You’re eliminating a group of people by saying that certain things cannot be said.”

Since Lia Thomas’ win in the Division 1 National Championship for women’s swim, controversy has resurfaced regarding transgender individuals in sports. Some argue Thomas’ testosterone levels give an unfair advantage and should disqualify the competitor, though Miller said he believes testosterone tests have

These skills can be used regardless of job preference, journalism senior and former Life & Arts editor Shelby McVey said.

“I’m a journalism major, and I don’t want to be a journalist,” McVey said. “It gives you so many skills like time management, how to meet a deadline, how to know what a good photo is and how to talk to people and form connections with the people you’re interviewing.”

When she first came to A&M, McVey said she didn’t know The Battalion existed, but learned about the publication through an unlikely interaction with someone covering a Parker McCollum concert.

“There was a girl writing there, and she told me what she was there to do,” McVey said.

“She was like, ‘I’m the Life & Arts editor for The Battalion at Texas A&M,’ and I was like, ‘I wanna be you. Your job is my dream job.’”

After the two followed each other on Instagram, McVey said she messaged her for help in the application process, dropped the application in the newsroom and the rest is history.

“First, I was a writer; I loved it. I really grew into myself during that time. My next position was obviously Life & Arts editor, and I did that for two semesters,” McVey said. “Then, the summer of 2020, I was editor-in-chief, and that was a wild ride. I loved it, but at the same time, it was obviously challenging. After that, I was the audience engagement editor and controlled social media. I’ve done anything and everything at The Battalion.”

Her biggest takeaway from her time at The Batt, McVey said, is that she could do anyless to do with biology and more to do with national politics. “[There are] transgender women and also cisgender women who have higher testosterone levels just naturally and biologically,” Miller said. “A lot of biological studies have been done that have shown that testosterone levels actually do not give any sort of competitive advantage when it comes to sports.”

However, according to The New York Times, testosterone does provide a performance advantage in sports, as it builds muscles and increases red blood cells.

Economics junior and campus outreach director for Young Americans For Freedom Rachel Sweeney said despite being required to take estrogen in order to compete, biological males who identify as women still have an advantage.

“Men have stronger lung capacity, better muscle development, better bone structure,” Sweeney said. “I don’t believe the current mitigation efforts have been effective in de-

thing she set her mind to.

“I know that’s going to sound really cheesy, but I’ve always wanted to write about country music,” McVey said. “I’ve made so many connections in that industry, and I have so many people’s phone numbers because of my time with The Battalion. If you’re scared to do something that you want to do, literally just spit out the idea to someone. Don’t feel like you have to do something someone else’s way or that you have to conform.”

General manager of Student Media and staff adviser for The Battalion Douglas Pils, Class of 1992, said he first heard about The Batt during his time as a student at A&M, due to its renown around campus.

“When I became a journalism major, everyone in journalism worked for The Batt,” Pils said. “There were other outlets to work for, but The Batt was always considered a prestigious thing.”

When he started, Pils said he was a sports writer, covering the men’s basketball team when it got a new head coach, Kermit Davis.

“I was assistant sports editor, and I had to deal with national news media because Davis got involved in some NCAA violations,” Pils said. “It was a big story, so dealing with national news media just became the thing to do, but it was good experience.”

From his time at The Batt, Pils said he learned how to do most everything in journalism and how to do it right.

“You’re a student journalist at that point, so obviously there are a lot of things you don’t know,” Pils said. “Getting feedback on what works and what doesn’t was always important. I’m still friends with a lot of the great people I worked with at The Batt, so you develop some close friendships that really last a lifetime.” creasing those advantages.”

In response to the notion that men will now try to compete in women’s sports, Sadler said the transgender community has faced stigma and is extremely marginalized.

“Maybe there’s one person in the U.S. who would do a cost-benefit analysis and be like, ‘No, this chance of a scholarship is worth that [stigma],’” Sadler said. “But I really, really doubt it.”

Legislation like Texas SB 1646, Miller said, leads to a lack of options for the trans community and could drastically increase suicide rates.

“Parents of trans children are working very hard to not only affirm their child, but to push back against the discrimination,” Miller said.

However, proponents of the bill, like Wolf, say gender-affirming practices are celebrating sex in young people and encourage a perverted narrative. People shouldn’t indulge in these fantasies, Wolf said, as it causes further confusion.

Journalism senior and former editor-in-chief Brady Stone said he was prompted to join The Batt after receiving a mass email sent out to students looking for page designers.

“I got that position, and after a little while, I became assistant news editor and then head page designer, and I never really let go of that position because up to the time I was editor-in-chief, I was still designing covers and pages and I kind of did that throughout,” Stone said. “I’ve written for every desk, and I guess the only thing I didn’t do was make videos. We even started a podcast, ‘The Batt Signal.’”

As a working journalist, Stone said he owes everything he does now to working at The Batt.

“I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities to freelance, and now my job at the Texas Tribune,” Stone said. “The Battalion has not only given me connections and opportunities, but it gave me a platform and taught me everything I know about journalism. I’m a journalism major, and I owe a lot to my professors, but it kind of feels like I majored in The Battalion.”

Students should apply to work at The Batt because there’s no other campus platform like it, Stone said.

“You don’t really get thrown into the fire, or you do, but you’re not left there to burn,” Stone said. “It’s a publication run by 20-something-year-olds, but it’s taken as seriously as any other publication. It’s a hands-on experience that can’t be replicated anywhere else on campus.”

Lauren Discher is an English senior and audience engagement editor for The Battalion.

“That isn’t gender-affirming,” Wolf said.

“That’s gender-lying. I don’t think it’s compassionate to lie to people. It’s borderline criminal.”

The idea that talking about sexuality in schools could result in grooming young people stems from a history of cisgender men intiating the grooming, Miller said. While it is possible, Miller said it projects the historical actions of cisgender men onto the LGBTQ+ community.

“The more vocabulary that you give a child to understand sexuality, the more of a platform that they have to defend themselves against sexual attacks and sexual predation,” Miller said.

Additionally, Stewart said transgender children have persistent feelings of being in the wrong body and don’t randomly wake up one day and make this decision.

“These families that have children that are transitioning often have a psychologist,” LEGISLATURE ON PG. 6

LIFE&ARTS

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The Battalion 4.14.22

Push to Start: More than a cover band

Photo courtesy of Sean Shamgar

Push to Start promoted its concert in College Station Friday, April 8 with the above poster.

Local cover band puts unique twist on classic, modern rock songs

By Kathryn Miller @KathrynMiller0 Push to Start brings classic and modern rock to life in Aggieland.

The cover band — composed of statistics graduate Alex Peters, biomedical engineering

graduate Sean Shamgar, industrial and systems engineering senior Paul Venesky and Nick Mischtian — is a local band whose sound encapsulates the spirit of rock and roll.

Venesky said the band is primarily a cover band for classic and modern rock, but they try to keep it hot and engaging to audiences.

“We really capture a niche that no other band quite fills,” Venesky said. “We are comfortable playing rock and roll, everything from the 1950s until today. It gives us a broad appeal

across a wide range of ages and interest groups, like rock and roll throughout the ages.”

Before the band even started, Peters said he and Shamgar had already been playing together for several years, and Shamgar, Venesky and Mischtian were in jazz band together and had already begun experimenting with music.

“My friend in a fraternity said, ‘Hey, we need a rock band for a party that we’re throwing,’ and I said, ‘I have a rock band,’ and we didn’t have a rock band,” Peters said. “In about a week and a half, we had a rock band and we played that show, and we’ve been doing it since.”

After their first performance together, Shamgar said the band members noticed their chemistry, despite each of them practicing different styles of music for years.

“Once we did it, we’re like, ‘Hey, we’re kind of good at this, we can probably do this a little bit more professionally,’” Shamgar said.

“We’ve all been individually playing different styles for years, but the chemistry was there.”

The band name was inspired by a button on their dryer, Shamgar said.

“In my head I thought of a push-to-start car and thought of car imagery,” Shamgar said. “That was the first idea that came to me, so I was like, ‘Our band should be called Push to Start.’ The car stuff never happened, we definitely went in a different direction. But, I just had to dry some clothes one day and now we’re here.”

Each of the members of Push to Start enjoyed similar music and all loved rock, Mischtian said, so collaborating to become a rock cover band happened naturally.

“We knew all the songs separately,” Mischtian said. “I learned the bass parts on my own before I even met them and they knew the parts when I came in. The first time we played together, which was actually at a block party, the first song I ever played with them was ‘Hotel California.’ I knew the baseline and they were playing it, and I was like, ‘I gotta play it.’ So, I jumped in there, and we just started off because we all knew the song, and we all enjoyed playing the songs.”

Since it’s a cover band, Veneksy said there is at least one song for everyone in their sets.

This is his favorite part of being in a cover band, because they can target songs they know people will vibe to and have fun with, Veneksy said.

Performing covers makes the band modular, Shamgar said.

“If we only had original material, that’s really all we can play,” Shamgar said. “But the

fact that the majority of our set are covers, that lets us change the sound and the dynamic of our band semester to semester, because that’s when we’re making the biggest changes to our setlist. Our setlist next semester, ideally, is going to look very different from what it looks like now. We never want to give people the same show. Ideally, we’re not even giving people the same show within a semester. That keeps it exciting and fresh for us.”

All the band members said they agree music

by Arctic Monkeys is their favorite to perform because their music fits the band’s style well.

“We really didn’t have much exposure to Arctic Monkeys, and then [Venesky] brought that into our band, and we realized their music was perfect,” Shamgar said. “It’s a great combination of modern rock but also staying true to like, you know, that that classic rock and roll sound. Our criteria for most of the music we play is classic rock, British Invasion-type stuff.”

The band’s biggest goal is to mature and have a more diverse sound in their music and to play shows outside of College Station, such as in Austin and Houston, Peters said. He acknowledged the band would like to write more original music and they’re working toward playing at the 12th Jam at the beginning of next semester.

For anyone who doesn’t know Push to Start, Peters said regardless of what kind of music they listen to or what music they grew up with or what they’re a fan of now, they’re going to hear something that either brings them back in a nostalgic way or something they currently love.

“We’re about bringing energy to the stage,” Peters said. “We play songs that we think people are gonna love, and we want to play them with as much energy as we can and have as much fun as we can. We really try to make it a really fun show for people that they’re going to enjoy and remember.”

Shamgar said there’s a stigma around cover bands, but Push to Start brings its own uniqueness and professionalism to its music.

“We all have very diverse backgrounds, everything from jazz to metal is all blending together into a rock band,” Shamgar said.

“We are trying to break out of that sigma of just being like a college cover band, to something more elevated and something more professional. We care about things like stage presence, audience interaction, having a high bar for quality, for our performances. We are going above and beyond what a cover band usually entails.”

OPINION

The Battalion | 4.14.22

Then, we’re told that an in-depth email explaining guest tickets would be coming shortly. It’s six weeks later and we haven’t been told a thing. Interestingly, if you head on over to the Graduation FAQs, more information about guest tickets has been quietly posted. In case you haven’t read, graduates, on May 2, an email will be sent out with instructions on how to claim your golden tickFILE ets. If you graduate on May 12, then you Opinion columnist Kaelin Connor says students should be allowed more than six guest tickets. can claim your tickets on May 4. If you graduate on May 13, then you can claim it on May 5 and so on. You then may ask, ‘Can I use extra tickets from a friend who graduates on a different day?’ No, you cannot. You will need extra tickets for your ceremony specifically. Now, what about just extra or unclaimed tickets? If available, they’ll be up for grabs in person. As for your other relatives Kaelin Connor and loved ones who don’t make the cut, on May 9. And, yes, infants are required to have a ticket too. there’s a pitiful live stream available to @KaelinAC Essentially, unless you can find somewatch. Now, I fully recognize and own one in your ceremony with scrap tickets, that I’m not a mathematician. Despite an. 6 this, I have enough brainpower to recog- you’re pretty much out of luck. If you’re Graduating students received their a parent who is graduating, your child nize that Reed Arena does not have the first email from the Office of the will need a ticket, regardless of the fact capacity to hold everyone’s godparents Registrar about commencement that they’ll be sitting on someone’s lap. If and third cousins in addition to their plans. This email explained the deadlines you have two parents and more than four immediate family. It’s just incredibly to apply to graduate in May of this year siblings, some will have to hear about it disappointing, as a soon-to-be graduate as well as deadlines for degree requiremyself, that with only six tickets, I can’t later or no one else will be able to come ments to be completed. to watch. If your parents are divorced manage to fit a fair sequence of family Feb. 16 and remarried, then they’ll either be sitmembers. In relativity, I have a smaller Students received their second email ting next to each other along with other family. Two parents, one brother, two pertaining to the May 2022 graduation. sets of grandparents, two uncles and one family or that’s four tickets gone and two It included reminders on graduation aunt. However, I can’t begin to imagine left to give. application deadlines.

There are two main alternative soluthe struggle of students who come from March 3 tions: change of venue or divide ceremoblended families, divorced families or The Office of the Registrar sent an nies. large families. Deciding a fair and kind email to degree candidates explaining There is a bigger, badder venue that way to determine who got the golden check-in times, instructions and the new I’m sure is coming to mind — Kyle ticket seems impossible and cruel. So, guest ticket rule. It concluded that more out of so-called “fairness,” my grandpar- Field. The main issue with this proposal information regarding ticket policies is that between spring football schedules ents will have to stream my incredible would be emailed in the coming weeks. and Texas heat, schedules can get comfeat from home.

As of publication, no follow-up email Currently, there are 4,634 first-genera- plicated. Fortunately, May 12-14, Kyle has been sent. tion college students listed to be on track Field looks pretty empty. There may be Graduating from a university is no practices and whatnot, but the football or close to graduating this May. That is small feat. I’m not going to pretend any team does have the state-of-the-art Mc4,634 students who are the first in their one degree is more difficult than anothFerrin Athletic Center open for use. I’m family to attend college and 4,634 stuer, since difficulty in itself is relative. sure the players wouldn’t mind the nice dents who deserve to be celebrated.

Between anxiety, financial insecurity It breaks my heart that the majority of air-conditioned center while we graduand hopelessness, college seems to wrap ates cook on the field. my family, who helped financially and all of these aspects into one pretty bow Kyle Field can hold 102,733 people. emotionally support my college career, with many more struggles entangled. will be watching from a screen. I can feel Suddenly, godparents and third cousins College is hard, not just academically, have a spot, and so too does everyone the disappointment and heartbreak of but emotionally, physically and mentally. other graduates when they came to this else in the family. It makes a lot of sense If you do successfully get to the finish to hold graduation ceremonies here. realization, too. line, then it’s an accomplishment worth There’s plenty of space, and if A&M The frustrating part is the lack of celebrating. communication from our university. We wanted to bring in additional funds, they This year, Texas A&M has reverted could open up concessions. Sipping on applied to graduate starting in January, back to guest ticket requirements similar a Miller Lite while watching a three to and months later we’re slyly told we’ll to those in place during the height of four hour ceremony doesn’t seem too be limited on who we can bring. By COVID-19. Only six of your most loyal bad now. that point, everyone had booked hotel family members or friends are permitThere’s also the solution of what rooms and scheduled dinner reservations. ted to watch you walk across the stage we’ve already done in the past —

Our lonely walk

The exclusive decision for spring 2022 graduation

J

5 more ceremonies. During the thick of COVID-19, A&M started spreading out ceremonies to accommodate distancing.

However, in 2019, there were eight graduation ceremonies in May. In the spring of 2018, there were 12 ceremonies. In 2016, there were 11 spring ceremonies.

Now, from an administrative point of view, having that many ceremonies to put on and sit through would probably be exhausting. I’m sure President M. Katherine Banks would need ankle surgery if she had to stand through 12 graduations. But, she doesn’t have to. To put it bluntly, I won’t be disappointed if Banks doesn’t shake my hand or say opening remarks. I will, however, be disappointed that my grandma won’t be in attendance. An alternative option would be to have the dean of each school open the respective ceremony and have, for instance, advisers within that school announce our names.

There are simple solutions to this disappointing problem. Graduation shouldn’t be jam-packed for efficiency like a production line. The ceremony itself is a recognition of the hard work and accomplishments graduates have made in their years here. Regardless of how many people you’re bringing, students who want to share their accomplishments with however many people they wish shouldn’t have to worry. Granted, there will always be limitations. I’m not ignorant of the fact that every graduate can’t bring their entire extended family, but there are solutions available that would enable more than six people to watch a student finish their college experience.

Like I said, graduating from college isn’t easy. For me, it took every ounce of effort and mental capacity my body could handle to get to the finish line. Like many others, I’m sure you too had a similar experience. We should be celebrating with our families, friends and loved ones.

We shouldn’t have to pick and choose our most worthy suitors. After a long and ongoing pandemic, families should be held closer together rather than split apart.

Regardless of which six people you choose — or if you manage to find long lost golden tickets — I hope every graduate feels proud. Congratulations, Class of 2022, you all have earned every bit of celebration and recognition from the ceremony and beyond.

Kaelin Connor is a psychology senior and opinion columnist for The Battalion.

NEWS

6

The Battalion | 4.14.22

ACCESSIBILTY CONTINUED AgriLife Sciences Building. Sutton said he usually has to wait for someone to arrive to push the accessible door button which was not accessible to him. So, in October, he reached out to his professor for help, and together the two came up with the idea to install motion sensors so anyone could motion near it, with the movement of a wheelchair, and the door would automatically open without a need to push a button.

“I expressed my concern with Dr. Nelson and was like, ‘It’d be really great if we could share this idea throughout campus to make it more accessible for everyone,’ because, Dr. Nelson had brought this idea, if they’re carrying a box and they can’t get in, instead of trying to elbow to hit an accessible button, it would be nice if you could just align your body with the sensor and it opens up,” Sutton said. “So, making it accessible for everyone is what we wanted to do.”

Nelson, whose two-year-old son is missing his hands due to a disability, said his personal perception of accessibility has changed, and after hearing about Sutton’s accessibility issues, he felt inspired to step in and help.

“I think I asked you, I said, ‘Can you leave the building?’” Nelson said, recalling with Sutton their initial conversation about his accessibility to class. “That’s when I learned about some of the differences with your hands, and you said, ‘No,’ and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh.’ As a non-disabled person, you think ‘accessible button,’ but it wasn’t necessarily accessible.”

BASEBALL PREVIEW CONTINUED starting with the road trip this weekend, but the Aggies’ fortitude and resolve is encouraging to see, even when things aren’t going perfectly.

“These guys play hard, and they’ve bought into everything we’re trying to do,” Schlossnagle said. “They find ways to win ball games.

Now, we’ve got to get on the road for league play and go to a nationally ranked club. We have our work cut out for us.”

After Georgia, A&M will face No. 19 Dallas Baptist in the midweek matchup, hosts No. 5 Arkansas the following weekend, faces Sam Houston State at home before traveling to Vanderbilt. The new players and coaching staff have been enthusiastic about the opportunity of playing the best of the best, so over the next 16 days, they will have plenty of

LGBTQ+ CONTINUED Stewart said. “They have a team of medical professionals on board, they’re advising them every step of the way.”

Sweeney said she is a libertarian when it comes to allowing transgender people to live and act as the gender they identify as.

So, Nelson reached out to the building’s proctor, AgriLife Facilities and Construction Director David DeLeon, to see what could be done. DeLeon, who also worked closely with Sarah Morris, AgriLife’s Facilities and Construction manager, said they first worked to understand Sutton’s disability to assess how his needs go beyond the basic ADA compliance.

“All the buildings that are built on this campus that are fairly new, and even the older buildings, abide by certain ADA and [Texas Accessibility] standards. Our buttons [at the AgriLife Sciences Building entrances] are compliant; they were done by registered architects and engineers,” DeLeon said. “However, with Ty’s disability, the button didn’t serve him right at all.”

Morris said they decided to install a motion sensor wave plate, which is a fairly new piece of technology, next to the building’s push buttons.

“That was something that I think was really exciting, was just the ability to take this existing push-button technology that we already had in place and integrate this new technology so that it’s even more accessible,” Morris said. “Sometimes that push button works to some degree to have students that need access, and then other times, if they don’t have that dexterity where they can reach in and get the button, it’s nice that we have this new technology.”

Inconvenient accessibility options are a campus-wide problem. Kyle Cox, Class of 2018, also has muscular dystrophy and said he, like Sutton, was not able to use the push buttons while he was on A&M’s campus. In 2015, Cox said he started the Open Doors project,

which aimed to make the campus’s doors more accessible to people with disabilities. He worked with A&M’s facilities department, who recommended he contact a third-party vendor who works on the university’s ADA compliance, though he said he was never able to establish a relationship with the vendor and the project dropped off.

While Cox said A&M is moving forward with its accessibility, there is still work to be done.

“ADA is the bare minimum,” Cox said. “If they really want to make people with disabilities feel included, they need to go above and beyond the bare minimum.”

A standout example of a legally compliant building which is not always convenient or accessible is the new Innovative Learning Classroom Building, or ILCB. Constructed in 2020, the ILCB seemingly meets the most up-to-date ADA standards; however, the entrances pose a particular challenge to campus members in wheelchairs, Sutton said.

The building entrance has two sets of double doors — but there are no push buttons in the middle.

Sutton said, like at most buildings with push buttons, he usually has to wait for someone to come and push the accessibility button or hold the door open for him when he visits the ILCB. One time, Sutton said a student held the exterior set of ILCB doors open for him, but not the second set, and since the student hadn’t hit the push button, both sets of doors didn’t automatically open and Sutton was trapped in the middle until another person came along.

“The person that opened the [first] door

apparently thought I could open up the second door and shut the door almost on top of me. I was like, ‘Well, this is awesome; what am I going to do here?’” Sutton said. “This is an inconvenience. They should have three buttons … so if that happens, you can get out or get in.”

Moving forward, Nelson said he hopes campus building proctors and facilities administrators become aware of the accessibility issues some individual campus members face and are as responsive as DeLeon was to Sutton’s situation at the AgriLife Sciences Building. It is important to recognize that every person’s disability poses unique challenges, he said.

“Inclusion isn’t about making someone different feel special. It’s recognizing that everyone is different and special,” Nelson said.

“One out of every four Americans have a disability. That’s a huge statistic, and if you think about it, that’s a population that any one of us can enter at any time. I’m not going to wake up a Mexican-American tomorrow, but I could wake up a disabled American tomorrow.”

Ultimately, Sutton said he hopes the new wave-plate technology will serve campus members beyond his time at A&M. “When I leave,” Sutton said, “I know without a doubt there’s going to be other people in my same situation that’re going to come to this university who have the same needs as myself, or maybe worse, and this is going to help them be successful in college and to lead and be successful citizens in the world.”

chances to prove themselves.

Thankfully for the Aggies, they are in their best stretch of recent play since opening weekend. They’ve won four of their last five games, but more importantly, A&M has gotten some great pitching performances to go along with a productive offense. Those two aspects have been separate from each other earlier in the season, but the bottom line is: A&M is playing its best baseball at the right time.

Following the Alabama series loss, the Aggies went on to beat then-No. 15 Texas State and take two of three from Kentucky with 23 runs scored over the series. A&M also won on the road over A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday night with 12 hits and great relief pitching.

Junior lefty Joseph Menefee had his best outing by tossing three scoreless innings out of the bullpen and striking out five, allowing just one hit. Sophomore first baseman Jack Moss said Menefee’s performance was im-

pressive and he’s looking forward to seeing him continue.

“He’s as good a pitcher as anybody in the country,” Moss said. “It’s awesome to see him have the success he’s having, and we just need him to keep it going for us.”

Menefee said his ability to place pitches well was encouraging for himself, and that pitching coach Nate Yeskie’s pitch calling took a bit of pressure away from the southpaw. “[It was] one of the better days of command for me,” Menefee said. “Yeskie was calling the game, and when he’s there with his mastermind, you just trust it and execute to the best of your ability.”

Graduate outfielder Dylan Rock has emerged as one of the team’s top hitters after receiving SEC Co-Player of the Week honors by leading the conference in on-base percentage, runs scored and walks on during week.

He also ranked second in RBIs with 12.

Rock and Moss are sure to be an important tandem for Schlossnagle over the next few weeks. Moss has continued to improve through the end of March and into April with his batting average sitting at a team-leading .383, has reached base in 31 of 32 games this season and has a team-leading OPS of 1.013.

In the 5-3 win over the Islanders, Moss had his fourth three-plus hit game of the season by going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and an RBI. “I just think it’s preparation and doing the fundamentals day-in and day-out,” Moss said.

The Georgia series gets going a bit earlier than normal on Thursday, April 14 at 5 p.m.

Games 2 and 3 are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, with Game 3’s first pitch at 3 p.m.

The three-game series can be watched on SEC Network+.

“Let [trans women] live as a woman, let them wear dresses, let them grow their hair out, let them wear makeup,” Sweeney said.

“It’s when you make unchangeable differences in children, that’s when I have an issue.”

Sweeney said 18 is the age people should make decisions about their bodies and their hormones. By telling children they can make those decisions when they’re an adult, can

help mitigate suicide and depression, Sweeney said.

“When they’re 18 … they are an adult that can make adult decisions,” Sweeney said. “I don’t think that’s something that they can consent to having done to them at a young age.”

Yet, Sadler said people should try to be empathetic toward the transgender community,

particularly those who are young, by listening to their stories and believing what they are saying.

“Do we think trans children should be erased, or do we think their lives have value and we should protect them?” Sadler asked. “I think that’s the national question right now.”

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LIFE&ARTS

7

The Battalion | 4.14.22

A ‘blank canvas’ for spiritual life

Photo courtesy of Rich Welson

Students from the Canterbury Episcopal Student Center joined guiding council members and the Rev. Rich Nelson at the Middleway Monastery in Downtown Bryan.

Middleway Monastery offers inclusive religious experience

By Nathan Varnell @collywobbledd Middleway Urban Monastery sits unassumingly on the corner of North Tabor Avenue and East 24th Street in a remodeled and partitioned building once serving as a Piggly Wiggly, painted white. Three doors down from the original corner entrance of the building, Middleway’s glass reflects a quaint view of north Downtown Bryan over the train tracks, toward Caffé Capri and Casa Rodriguez. Just out of sight on the adjacent street is the Longhorn Tavern Steakhouse, with its characteristic logo of a bull’s head emblazoned on the side of the building, while Middleway sports merely a sign printed onto its glass door.

Much like a person’s spiritual life, it rests only a couple blocks outside of the exact center of Downtown Bryan; nestled right in the community’s heart.

The monastery presents itself spiritually as humbly as it does physically. Taking its name from the ancient phrase “via media,” it is a picture of moderation between the “high” and “low” churches of the area, and its guiding council stated such an intention.

Born of a group of spiritual directors in the Brazos Valley and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, the monastery is an implement for the group to treat the “decline of religion in America” — the general dissatisfaction of the public with traditional practices, churches and church messages. The guiding council believes people are still seeking “something” and hope this new monastery can direct them.

“No proselytizing, no telling you how to think, no judging. We allow you to question and discover God alone but in a community of fellow seekers,” the monastery’s website reads, and council members affirmed.

Co-founder Kathleen Phillips, a spiritual director and the director of the FIND School for Spiritual Direction and Formation, said the monastery’s origin was as an idea that came to a group of spiritual directors “somewhat selfishly.” During their monthly meetings, the directors came to desire a non-traditional place of worship, study and spiritual introspection.

Despite the title of “monastery,” Middleway is not the kind of place to see live-in nuns or monks, Phillips said. Rather, it is a quiet center for spiritual reflection and guidance, where people may come free of charge “to experience God the way you need to,” she said.

The center features a number of means to this end. Beginning operations during the pandemic in 2020, the center’s spiritual directors and volunteers lead prayer practices, such as compline, centering prayers, “poetry as prayer” and other forms of introspection. The physical center opened in November 2021, with a small chapel area for group or single use, private rooms where one can meet with a spiritual director or spend time meditating alongside religious icons, a diverse library and even art stations — another departure from a traditional religious institution. Periodically, the center’s directors and volunteers host

workshops of all kinds.

Kelli Davis is one such spiritual director, although she said she prefers “companioning” to directing. A College Station resident, Davis is a member of the Gathered Community of Spiritual Directors in Texas.

Photo courtesy of Rich Welson

Middleway Urban Monastery’s open chapel style sertting is open for prayer and worship.

“[Spiritual direction], to me, is companioning somebody as they walk through life, seeing where God is present, noticing God in the ordinary of life — through the highs, the lows, the in-between,” Davis said. “So, I like to use the word ‘companioning.’ It’s a little less intimidating, and really, it’s just sitting and listening and helping people to be aware of their God in their life.”

There are people, not just in the local community, but worldwide who have been deeply hurt or misunderstood by religious institutions and groups, Davis said. To her, Middleway serves to meet people where they are in life, “the same way Christ did.”

“I am very excited that we have something in this community where we can be open to whoever walks through the door. I’m excited that it’s here downtown, where we have a little bit of an urban feel,” Davis said. “It’s open throughout the week, during work hours. Someone can just venture in and ask a question, and somebody is here to listen and in a non-threatening, generous and gracious space.”

The monastery — and its free, community resources — was made possible by the Episcopal Diocese and sponsorship of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Bryan. The Rev. Daryl Hay, rector at the 155-year-old St. Andrew’s and ex-officio guiding council member, said the history of Christian spirituality is deep and wide. As a priest, he naturally believes in the institutional church, but recognizes not everybody is comfortable or wants to take part of that kind of Christian community. Hay and the Rev. Rich Nelson, campus missioner for the Canterbury Episcopal Student Center, serve in support of the monastery’s leadership and as representatives of the diocese.

“With so many of those other groups people are familiar with, they’re trying to get you to believe a certain thing. They’re trying

to get you to join something, saying, ‘You come here and we’ll tell you what you need to know.’ And I think Middleway is the exact opposite,” Nelson said. “It flips that whole model; we’re not here to convince you anything or tell you what to believe, but just to provide a blank canvas and some people who have training to be supportive of people in their journey. It is a very different model for engaging with people about their faith life than you find at a church or lots of other Christian organizations.”

Middleway is still an expressly Christian institution, Hay said, but that “blank canvas,” even with its boundaries, can stretch far and wide. Its staff include Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians and many more, including the disaffected individuals who cannot find a spiritual home in traditional spaces.

“It’s a grassroots thing; we’re here as official church-people giving support to it, but really the people who are making this happen dayin and day-out are church members, spiritual directors like [Davis],” Hay said.

The diocese supports programs such as Middleway and Canterbury through The Great Commission Foundation, a multi-million dollar fund created following the diocese’s sale of the St. Luke’s Hospital system in Houston, Nelson said. The sale also spawned the Episcopal Health Foundation, which is a significant group in Texas health research and advocacy, he said. The work of the Monastery, however, is done almost entirely by volunteers while the diocese keeps the lights on.

“In church research-speak, people are often called Nones and Dones. People who have no religious affiliation and maybe never have, or people who are done with church because they had a bad experience but still want a community,” Nelson said. “So part of the hope is that over time there will be a community of those people who get to know each other as we have workshops and things get connected. Kathleen Phillips — a lot of this comes from her heart; she wanted to create a space for people who were in those circles.”

Although the group of directors first wanted a non-traditional space for themselves, a 2019 study by the Pew Research Institute truly hammered home the urgency of increasing religious disaffection, Phillips said.

“As it came about with the study by the Pew Research Institute, on the people on religion in America, that there was just this nosedive of people affiliating with any religion,” Phillips said. “And then we looked at our county numbers and found out that there were about 135,000 people in Brazos County alone that do not affiliate with a religion. And that’s more than half our population. So, it just kind of grabbed us since we, as spiritual directors, often hear from people who are feeling that way. We kind of put two and two together and thought, ‘Hey, our dream for us actually might be useful for other people.’”

Heidi Campbell is a council member for Middleway, professor in the Department of Communication at Texas A&M and an internationally known author of several books on the intersection between religion and digital media. Nelson and Phillips said Campbell has been a driving force for much of Middleway’s

non-traditional programming, workshops and online content.

“Teaching at A&M, I find that while students may be pulling away from religious institutions, organizations and formal churches, they’re not pulling away from spirituality,” Campbell said. “This is the time of year here where they’re trying to find their identity, or where they’re going to be career-wise, where they’re going to be walking. There’s a lot of searching happening. And I think having a space, saying, ‘Hey, you can do that searching,’ but if you don’t feel comfortable doing it in a formal organization that’s going to want you to affiliate with them, I think [Middleway] is really the dream thing.”

Nelson said Middleway is currently working with a group of marketing students from the Mays Business School on how to present itself and what it hopes to achieve to the public, particularly departing from the “typical” view of what a “monastery” entails.

“I think people want those conversations without the judgment, saying, ‘Hey, I haven’t figured this all out.’ To be willing to walk with them and do what spiritual direction does best by fully listening and offering comfort, wisdom and hope. I think it’s so important,” Campbell said.

Photo courtesy of Rich Welson

The monastery has a variety of seating, art and stations for rest and contemplation.

As part of its outreach to the community, Middleway hosted a “labyrinth walk for peace,” an “ancient form of meditative walk” that follows a meandering path to the center, geared toward prayer and purposeful contemplation, Hay said. The prayers were encouraged to be for peace amid wartime overseas in Ukraine and many other regions globally, while demonstrating what Middleway might offer. In the near future, the council hopes to develop a greenspace for meditative activities and community building, as well as hosting documentaries and talks, the council said.

For more information on workshops and events, Nelson encourages individuals to sign up for the monastery’s email newsletter from its website, to follow its social media or to simply stop by on a free weekday and say hello.

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