The Battalion — August 3, 2022 by The Battalion

‘Disenfranchising the students’ MSC not selected as early voting location for November In this edition

pg. 2 No MSC Early Voting

pg. 3 Monkeypox Outbreak

pg. 5 2023 Recruitment

pg. 6 Referee Treatment

NEWS

The Battalion | 8.3.22

Early voting will not be held in the MSC for the November 2022 election, despite a long standing precedent.

Graphic by Cameron Johnson

MSC will no longer serve as early voting location

College Station City Hall will replace on-campus early voting location By Caroline Wilburn @carolinewilb

After a 4-1 decision on July 5, the Brazos County Commissioners Court approved a list of early voting locations for the upcoming November election — the list did not include the Memorial Student Center, or MSC. The MSC, which falls in Brazos County Precinct 3, will be replaced by College Station City Hall as an early voting location, along with Brazos County Election Administrator Office, Arena Hall, Galilee Baptist Church and College Station Utilities Meeting & Training Facility. During the first week of early voting, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. following a unanimously approved amendment by the court. The MSC will be open as a voting location on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 8. County Election Administrator Trudy Hancock said the change in early voting location was proposed to her by Precinct 3 Commissioner Nancy Berry in hopes to reduce confusion for non-student residents of College Station. “Early voting locations, if we have any change in those locations, they’re recom-

mended by the commissioner or changed if we have a problem with a location, then the commissioner in that district helps me figure out where to have [voting locations],” Hancock said. “We haven’t had any problems with [the MSC] per se, but the normal residents of College Station find it hard to navigate campus. It was brought to me by Commissioner Berry, she asked me if I could vet out the City of College Station Town Hall to see if it was available, the City Hall said they would make their facility available for use, which is how we proceeded in [Commissioners] Court.” Precinct 2 Commissioner Russ Ford was the only dissenting vote for the location change. Ford said he felt the court did not give enough serious consideration to keeping the MSC as an early voting location. “I think [the Commissioners Court] is being very short-sighted and not really paying attention to what the people want and ask for,” Ford said. “We should be trying to get more people to vote, to make it easier to vote.” Hancock said early votes at the MSC fluctuate and are dependent on the type of election cycle. “Early voting turnout at the MSC is greatly dependent on the election,” Hancock said. “In the presidential year, we see a really large turnout from the campus. In the primary and primary run-off, we didn’t see a large turnout, but more than I expected.” Berry said she believes there will be greater voter turnout at City Hall due to the residents

of the College Hills, Emerald Forest and the South Gate areas. “I think having it at the College Station City Hall will eliminate some of the wait times at the South College Station [voting] location,” Berry said. Berry said there is typically only one early voting location per precinct, but Brazos County residents can vote at any polling location and are not restricted to voting in their precinct. “The problem with having two [voting locations] is staffing,” Berry said. “Most of the poll workers are older, they’re retired and they just frankly can’t get enough poll workers. You need seven poll workers per location. We had a number of polling chairmen come to our meeting when we decided this and said that if you don’t have seven it’s just a very long, laborious process.” Hancock also noted that registered voters can vote anywhere within the county throughout the early and regular voting periods. “We try to make our locations as easily accessible as possible. I do understand that the MSC is very convenient for the students, but we do have a large population that like to vote early that find campus daunting,” Hancock said. “Early voting and Election Day, you can go to any site. If you live across town from campus, you may choose a site when you’re going out to class or work.” Ford said he was surprised Berry did not

have a better understanding of why the MSC is a vital voting location as A&M’s campus falls under her supervision. “[Berry] should very clearly understand why it’s important to have an early polling location there,” Ford said. “From the minute the discussion opened, not only were they not interested in trying to keep from disenfranchising the voters in East Brazos County, but also from disenfranchising the students and making it more challenging for them to vote.” Berry said hearing from non-student residents influenced her vote to change the early voting venue. “I heard from more residents and only two students who spoke up on behalf of the MSC, and because of the number of voters who traditionally vote [in] College Station as opposed to the numbers who voted [at] the MSC, it was an easy choice for me to make for College Station City Hall, and I hope the students will go out and vote,” Berry said. Due to the location change, Ford said he believes there will be a lower student voting turnout. “People are creatures of habit, and if you’re used to voting at a certain location, that’s where you go to vote,” Ford said. “If you go there and that location is not open, or you do your research and it’s not open, it may just be, ‘To heck with it’ kind of a situation, which is not what we should want.” Berry said there are no currently planned VOTING ON PG. 4

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The Battalion | 8.3.22

VOTING CONTINUED accommodations to navigate students to City Hall from A&M’s campus during the early voting period. Hancock said although the location is moving, her hope is that students still take time to vote early and for an increased Election Day presence in the MSC. “The City Hall is right across the street from campus, I know it’s convenient for students,” Hancock said. “We do plan on beefing up our [MSC] location for Election Day, just in case we see a huge upturn for those students who did not vote early. We’re working with the MSC to see if they can move us to a bigger room so we can have a bigger staff and more machines to facilitate a bigger turnout.” Ford said he believes the court’s decision to remove the MSC as an early voting location lacked assessment and was made without proper consideration. “Setting the elections and the election locations is probably one of the most important functions that we do as commissioners,” Ford said. “I think we’ve taken it very lightly and didn’t even request further or better information.” Management senior Ariana Marin spoke to the court on July 5 before it made its final decision on voting locations. Marin said removing the MSC as an early voting location would disenfranchise those who live on campus, who lack vehicles to vote elsewhere and university

staff who can’t afford to leave campus for long periods of time. In her speech to the court, Marin read a statement from electronic systems engineering technology senior Waaiz Khan. In his statement, Khan urged the court to reconsider eliminating the MSC as an early voting location. “As a full time student at Texas A&M, I visit campus almost daily,” Khan’s statement to the court read. “I go to Zachry and Thompson for engineering classes, Evans for late-night finals cramming and the MSC for anything from textbooks to Spin-n-Stone. I don’t, however, go often to the Bryan Courthouse or [College Station] City Hall.” Changing voting accessibility for students will inevitably lead to an overall lower voter FILE — THE BATTALION turnout due to the nature of most A&M stu- The Brazos County Health Department on March 29, 2020. Monkeypox has been confirmed in the county. dents’ schedules, and further promotes voter suppression, Khan’s statement read. “The MSC has been an easily accessible and reliable polling place since I start[ed] attending A&M — why change that now?” Khan said. “For many students, this polling spot alskin contact, which includes, but is not limited lowed them to participate in our democratic Local health experts update public to, sexual contact. He said scabs, rashes, bodily process despite a demanding schedule. Not to on state of COVID-19, monkeypox liquids, respiratory secretions and face-to-face mention, saving on expensive gas by taking exposure should be avoided. Physical contact a bus to and from campus instead of driving By Ruben Hernandez with items previously touched by infected downtown.” @battandmuse individuals can also cause transmission, and pregnant women are susceptible to spread the On Thursday, July 27, Brazos Coun- infection to the growing fetus. Sullivan said monkeypox is visually identifity Health Authority Seth Sullivan, M.D., and Workforce Development Coordinator able, with discrete lesions, raised and blistered and Public Health Information officer Mary with a fluid vesicle, similar to chickenpox, apParrish issued a report on Facebook Live re- pearing on the skin. Locations of these blisters garding the first monkeypox case in Brazos may be on the face, torso, palms of the hands Price Includes County, as well as an update on the current or soles of the feet. Embroidered Logo and Name Vaccines have been ordered in relatively COVID-19 report. (More logos available) Sullivan began with the Brazos County low quantities due to high demand, Sullivan COVID-19 report and said omicron cases are said. Those at highest risk, such as those who Shop for Little Aggies still very high, with 70 cases reported in June have been exposed to infected individuals, will and jumped to 80 cases within a 14-day av- be given the vaccine first in order to mitigate and Much More erage in July. Sullivan said many residents are symptoms. A Food and Drug Administration etsy.com/shop/aggiesandbows performing at-home tests, likely resulting in approved antiviral medicine for smallpox, alby Charlotte, an underreporting of infections. Sullivan said though not certified for monkeypox, can be taken, though most individuals are not reCOVID-19 vaccines are still encouraged. Reveille’s Dressmaker quired to. Sullivan proceeded with information reAggie Mom & Grandma Sullivan moved on to the FAQ section of garding the first confirmed case of monkeypox in Brazos County and said the individual the livestream, and primarily emphasized the For A&M Sterling Jewelry: who tested positive was in close contact with a differences between COVID-19 and monstores.ebay.com/charboeg979 monkeypox case in the Dallas area. Currently keypox. Sullivan said, unlike COVID-19’s form of in Texas there are 454 monkeypox cases, with 447 cases being male individuals while only transmission, which includes asymptomatic 1711 N Earl Rudder Fwy carriers and the formation of highly contagious seven have been female. Bryan, TX 77803 Sullivan said the majority of monkeypox aerosolized air in concentrated areas, monkeycases are transmitted through direct skin-to- pox’s only form of transmission is skin contact.

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MONKEYPOX ON PG. 6

SPORTS

The Battalion | 8.3.22

Assembling next recruiting class

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

While the first down of the upcoming football season may not have been played yet, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher and his team are already assembling a roster for the 2023 season.

Following 2022’s No. 1 recruiting class, Aggie football looks to sign incoming high school seniors By Jordan Epp @j_epp22 The offseason has never been boring for Texas A&M football since the arrival of coach Jimbo Fisher. After the yells subside in Kyle Field as fans anticipate another season of football, the staff in Aggieland under Fisher has put an emphasis on recruiting, and the results speak for themselves. Since 2018, the Aggies and coach Fisher have finished with recruiting classes ranked 17th, fifth, sixth, ninth and first, respectively, according to 247Sports. The 2022 recruiting class for A&M was not only the highest-ranked class that year, it was the highest-ranked class of all time. As of right now, A&M is looking ahead to the 2023 high school recruiting class, this year’s incoming high school seniors, and they’ve already got a couple of tricks up their sleeves. On July 30, A&M received a commitment from Anthony Hill. Hill is a linebacker at Ryan High School in Denton, and according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, he’s a fivestar recruit, the No. 2 player in the state of Texas and the No. 1 linebacker in the nation. Hill marks the first five-star recruit A&M has landed for 2023, especially significant since Hill chose A&M over in-state rival Texas — his final two teams. Alongside Hill, Dalton Brooks, who is listed with an “athlete” designation instead of a specific position, also committed to A&M on July 30. Brooks is from Shiner and is a fourstar prospect ranked No. 67 in the nation. The Aggies currently have six four-star recruits who have committed. Besides Brooks,

the team has recruited Bravion Rogers — No. 39 and No. 5 cornerback from La Grange High School — Chase Bisontis — No. 65 and No. 9 offensive tackle from Ramsey, N.J. — Jayvon Thomas — No. 79 and No. 7 cornerback from South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas — Colton Thomasson — No. 343 and No. 30 offensive tackle from Smithson Valley High School in Spring Branch — and Daymion Sanford — No. 404 and No. 38 edge rusher from Paetow High School in Katy. Furthermore, A&M has a pair of three-star recruits in defensive lineman Samu Taumanupepe from Atascocita High School in Humble and punter Tyler White from Carroll High School in Southlake. The Aggies are in the running and making pushes on a number of other recruits as well. The No. 7 prospect in the nation, defensive lineman David Hicks from Paetow High School in Katy, listed A&M in his final seven schools, and 247Sports’ recruiting insiders put A&M heavily in the running for Hykeem Williams of Stranahan High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the No. 19 player in the nation and the No. 2 wide receiver. A&M is even making pushes to flip players, having brought in Malachi Nelson, the No. 2 player in the nation and No. 2 quarterback from Los Alamitos, Calif., for an unofficial visit on July 28. Nelson was previously committed to Oklahoma before recommitting to his hometown USC when the Sooners’ head coach Lincoln Riley left to join the Trojans. National Signing Day, when high school players officially sign their letters of intent for their commitment, isn’t until Feb. 1, 2023, so there’s plenty of time for things to shift around, especially as the season progresses and more coaches are on the move. Until then, A&M fans can be certain that the team’s coaching staff will not take this aspect of the game lightly.

NEWS

The Battalion | 8.3.22

MONKEYPOX CONTINUED Sullivan said that due to less versatile modes of infection and available medical treatments, monkeypox transmission is easier to control. “There are many public health experts who are optimistic that if we take it seriously and take charge of this, that we can completely control this, and by control I mean stop [monkeypox] transmission entirely,” Sullivan said. Sullivan then took questions from the viewers. The questions consisted of quarantine proceedings, how schools would be affected, what the incubation period of monkeypox is, how to identify a lesion, what the time frame of skin contact is and when the vaccines will be available. For monkeypox’s quarantine proceedings, Sullivan said he thinks that the virus is transmittable before the rash starts to develop. “We know that is when we are most contagious,” Sullivan said. “It’s about that window and all through the time the lesions are there we are considered contagious … Really, we’re looking at it until lesions have resolved.” Sullivan said that as of now, the health district is not as worried about monkeypox in schools compared to COVID-19. “[COVID-19] is almost silent the way it gets transmitted ... and with monkeypox we’re not seeing that,” Sullivan said. “What we see is somebody who has lesions in that direct skinto-skin contact, and so we would not expect mass transmission through a school. It’s differ-

OPINION ent that way in its transmission mode.” Sullivan said the incubation period for monkeypox is about one to two weeks. “Of course there is a range, and that range is the variability of our immune systems and how much of the virus we were exposed to,” Sullivan said. “If we are in direct contact with somebody with monkeypox, we do need to take that seriously, and we do need to be mindful that there is an incubation period.” Sullivan said visual signs of monkeypox are easy to spot. “These are very characteristic lesions,” Sullivan said. “They’re large, they’re often painful, some can be itchy and it’s not your typical pimple. There’s already some great images online, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has posted some good pictures of what [monkey]pox lesions look like, so I would just familiarize myself with those.” With the high demand of monkeypox vaccines, Sullivan said that it is unknown when the vaccine will be available in Brazos County. Sullivan said hospitalization for monkeypox is not usually required, but the consequences of painful lesions do not make it something Refereeing reveals toxicity of youth to brush off. “Most people with monkeypox do just fine, sports, says opinion writer Ryan Lindner they heal on their own and they don’t require hospitalization, they don’t require incubation By Ryan Lindner … but we do heal from it,” Sullivan said. @RyanLindner12

Perils of referees

Monkeypox Current Stats Kathryn Miller, Editor-in-Chief Kyle McClenagan, News Editor Caroline Wilburn, Asst. News Editor & Life & Arts Editor Jordan Epp, Sports Editor Grant Gaspard, Asst. Sports Editor Robert O’Brien, Photo Chief Cameron Johnson, Asst. Photo Chief

Caleb Elizondo, Opinion Editor Ruben Hernandez, Asst. L&A Editor Ishika Samant, Social Media & Multimedia Editor Zoe May, Social Media & Multimedia Editor Jessica King, Design Editor

THE BATTALION publishes daily at www.thebatt.com and in print every other Wednesday starting June 8 during the 2022 summer semester at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center.

Global Cases: 25,391

National Cases: 6,326

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Graphic by Cameron Johnson

Texas Cases: 454

As a teenager, there aren’t many available jobs an average person would describe as “desirable.” You can apply to bus tables at a local restaurant, work in fast food, cut grass, or if working isn’t your style, you could always hope your parents are feeling generous. Not wanting to beg my frugal parents, I got a job as quickly as possible. As it turns out, having zero real work experience and being unavailable from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday doesn’t open many doors in the business world. Even more shocking, putting “proficient with Google Docs” on a resume doesn’t impress employers much either. Having no desire to work at Taco Bell or McDonald’s, I decided to be a youth basketball referee. Big mistake, but it shouldn’t have been. For my entire life, I adored sports, particularly basketball. I played in middle and high school and competed for multiple Amateur Athletic Union teams, where we would travel far and wide for tournaments almost every weekend. I worked with formidable trainers who pushed me to understand the game’s complexities. Despite being immersed in basketball, I caught a glimpse of a new, darker side of youth sports whenever I donned the

black and white striped uniform. No matter the call my fellow referee or I would make, we were assailed by parents who not only disagreed with the call, but acted as if we were personally attacking the players. I’m not talking about the commonplace nagging at the referee — an otherwise respectful disagreement. Such instances of controversy are to be expected and often welcomed at sporting events. Instead, I’m referring to the frequent occasions where parents would belligerently approach me during or after the game and scream that I was “targeting” their child or that I was “receiving bribes.” At one point, a coach even laid hands on me in a manner I wouldn’t necessarily describe as friendly. To be fair, I did make mistakes while officiating. All referees do, and the point is to learn from them. However, refs are tasked with an impossible assignment — to make split-second decisions where every call can change the game’s outcome. There is no time for carefully judging which rule was fractured. There is no instant playback. And there certainly isn’t any time for self-doubt. Despite its difficulty, most referees do it because they possess a genuine passion for the sport — trust me, it isn’t the money. However, sometimes passion isn’t strong enough to undergo constant abuse, especially when it becomes physical. Take the story of Kristi Moore, for instance. A decade-long softball umpire, Moore was assaulted after officiating a 12-year-old girl’s REFEREE ON PG. 7

OPINION

The Battalion | 8.3.22

REFEREE CONTINUED

Ryan Lindner is a political science sophomore and opinion writer for The Battalion.

to todays puzzles

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8/3/22 Crossword

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to todays puzzles

the officials as the only thing standing in their kids’ way to NBA stardom — unknown to me, at the time, the 12U local basketball league is where all the high-level scouts spend their Saturdays. However, there were also incredibly heartwarming times to be the FOR RENT guy with the whistle. Seeing FOR FOOTBALL RENTAL: a kid score their first basket, a LOOKING Looking for a room for home team winning the champion- football games. Need beds for 2 ship or even simply witnessing adult males. Would come in on day and leave early on Sunthe unmistakable joy written game day. Call Rudy ‘97 @ 713-385-8384 over the youngsters’ faces after a hard-fought game. UNITS There are a multitude STORAGE CLOSE TO CAMPUS. $50 10x10 of things to love about Call 979-696-4464 youth sports culture, from hard-working and humble APARTMENT NEAR CAMPUS: kids, loving and supporting Large 980 sq ft- 2/2, 3 blocks from parents to the vast number of campus, on bus route, $950. 254volunteer coaches and assis- 289-0585 tants who dedicate their eve- APARTMENT WITH LAND: nings and weekends to ensur- Efficiency apartment for lease. 12 ing the team runs smoothly. miles from mall. Pasture for horse. For many players, putting on Price negotiable. 979-777-4211 their team’s jersey is an imHELP WANTED mense source of joy and taking the field is their declaraTUTORS WANTED for all subjects tion of strength. taught at Texas A&M, Blinn That’s the wonderful thing College and Sam Houston State. about sports. What you get Pay starts at $15 an hour. Apply at www.99tutors.com. Call out of it isn’t monetary. It’s online 979-255-3655 with questions. the friends made, lessons learned, character built and the fun had along the way. As a referee, you get to see all of this, but you also see what happens when the priceless is replaced with a mere obsession over financial investment. The result is profanities shouted, fists thrown and people hurt. If we wish to maintain a healthy sports culture, we must remember to keep it all in perspective, even when the stakes are high. Perhaps your kid isn’t destined for collegiate greatness, and that’s OK. After all, it’s the investments of the heart that stand the test of time.

ANSWERS

softball match in Laurel, Miss. One of the players’ mothers, Kiara Thomas, repeatedly shouted obscenities at Moore until she was asked to leave the premises. After the game, Thomas approached Moore and punched her in front of all the other parents and children. After the event, Moore took to Facebook, where she posted about the abuse faced by most sporting officials and how these behaviors have caused a severe drought of experienced umpires. “The next time you go to a tournament and you only have one umpire on the field … this is why,” Moore wrote. “When the day comes that your kid can’t play a ballgame because there are no longer officials to call it … THIS. IS.WHY.” Moore’s experience is more than just an anecdote. A 2017 study by the National Association of Sports Officials found 87% of the 17,000 respondents reported being verbally abused while officiating, 13% were victims of physical violence and a majority felt the parents are to blame. To me, the reason is simple. Parents spend more time and money than ever on getting their kids on prestigious club teams and access to the socalled “elite” trainers. While not inherently harmful, the danger arises when the game becomes more about protecting an investment instead of their kid having fun. Thus, when an official makes a call against a player, it’s often seen as a personal attack. The referee is no longer considered an objective rule enforcer. Rather, they are a threat who is unfairly picking on a player. My year and a half of reffing was characterized mainly by exhausting stretches of sixto-eight back-to-back games, combined with having to put up with parents who consider

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