THURSDAY, MARCH 25 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2021 STUDENT MEDIA
HOW SWEET IT IS Jordan Nixon wills A&M to third consecutive Sweet 16
Courtesy of 2021 NCAA Photos
With a layup as time expired, sophomore guard Jordan Nixon lifted Texas A&M to an 84-82 win over Iowa State on March 24, finishing the night with a career-high 35 points.
By Hannah Underwood @hannahbunderwoo
A
s the popular Aggieland saying goes, “The Aggies don’t lose, they simply run out of time.” But running out of time in regulation didn’t faze the No. 2 seed Texas A&M women’s basketball team as the Aggies mounted a late comeback effort to force an 84-82 win in overtime against seventh-seed Iowa State. With her third game-winning bucket of the season, sophomore guard Jordan Nixon clinched the win for the Aggies to send them to their third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance and ninth in program history. “I caught the rebound — ‘Go’ was all I
heard,” Nixon said. “Once I saw daylight, I didn’t think I had enough time to do anything. But my teammates ran the floor and I just had to put it up. ‘Put it up’ was the only thing I thought, live with the decision, live with the shot. I’m so happy it went in.” A&M coach Gary Blair said no matter how many shots Nixon misses in a game, he will always have faith in her when it comes to the big moments. “Jordan has that moment in her. She wants the moment,” Blair said. “Very few athletes want that — can they afford the miss? A couple times in the first half after she’d miss one and then pass up a second one, I’d say, ‘Uh uh, any time you’re open, it’s green light.’” As her game-winning shot passed through the net to the hardwood below, Nixon
paused. As cheers erupted around her in the near-empty Alamodome South Court, as her teammates encircled her in celebration, she paused. “I was savoring the moment,” Nixon said. “In this age, in this time, we’re always thinking about the next thing or always looking forward to, ‘This is what I have next, this is what’s coming.’ That moment, when I stopped, that was me taking it in. We’re going to the Sweet 16, we just clawed back against a really good team, down the wire. These are the moments. These are the moments you remember with your teammates. We’re always going to remember this day, this year and this tournament.” Nixon led the Aggies’ late comeback effort, tying the score at 75 with six seconds left
on back-to-back buckets, forcing the game into overtime. The sophomore transfer from Notre Dame finished the game with a career-high 35 points, shooting 16-of-28 from the floor, including 2-of-7 from three. Her previous career-high came in the first round of the tournament when she put up 21 points against Troy. While most of the game had been dominated by Iowa State’s three-point shooting, the Aggies displayed the cool confidence they’ve become known for. Nixon gave A&M its first lead of the game to open overtime with her second three-pointer of the night, the Aggies’ fourth of the game. Though the game went back-and-forth for the five extra minutes, Nixon closed the game SWEET 16 ON PG. 3
Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION
The Brazos Center in Bryan is open as a vaccine distribution center.
All Texans 18+ to be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination Returning to the classroom
FILE
A&M announced on March 22 that it intends to return to in-person instruction in fall 2021.
Effective March 29, Texas opens vaccine registration to all adults By Julia Potts @juliaapotts
According to state health officials, all adults age 18 and up in Texas will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, effective March 29.
The current requirements from vaccine candidates are those fitting the 1A, 1B or 1C phases of the vaccine distribution. According to an article from the Texas Tribune, over 9.3 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in Texas already and 3 million people are fully vaccinated. However, the state must reach between a 70 and 90 percent vaccination rate to develop herd VACCINE ON PG. 4
A&M planning to resume in-person learning for upcoming fall semester By Bec Morris @BecWrote
With vaccines becoming more widely distributed across Texas and Brazos County,
classes will be back in person in the fall of 2021, according to an email announcement from Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Mark Weichold. As a result of this announcement, class registration times for fall 2021 are being pushed back a month to allow college administrators and departments time to adjust their schedules. IN-PERSON ON PG. 4
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The Battalion | 3.25.21
Aggies share vaccination testimonials
because COVID[-19] is cruel, but the side effects are just as cruel, too.” Kristen Jones Communication junior Kristen Jones made multiple YouTube videos about her experience after receiving the Moderna shot to share her vaccination experience. “YouTube is a platform that provides me with the unique opportunity to have a voice, and I hadn’t seen anyone I knew get the vaccine yet,” Jones said. “I felt like documenting the process on YouTube would allow me to reach a widespread audience to share my unique and raw experience while also informing my peers.” In the videos, she covers the side effects she experienced and answers questions from her followers. Jones said the first shot had fewer side effects than the second dose. “I felt like my back was being stabbed, literally it hurt so bad,” Jones said in one of the videos. “It didn’t affect me until the next day when I was watching church with my family.” Paige Eley
PROVIDED
Texas A&M students share thier experiences receivng the COVID-19 vaccine.
Students discuss why they chose to be vaccinated, their experience afterward
the month.
By Aubrey Vogel @aubrey_vogel
Following Gov. Greg Abbott’s lift of the mask mandate on March 10, many students such as English senior Brinna Gallego-Ybarra said they feel it is now more important for people to get the vaccine than ever before, as the lifting of the mandate adds a greater risk of exposure within the community. Gallego-Ybarra said she had a unique experience while getting her Moderna vaccine, as she tested positive for COVID-19 the same day she received her first dose. “I think the one thing people need to know is that the vaccine does not contain the actual virus. I tested positive after receiving the vaccine because I had been exposed a few days
Brinna Gallego-Ybarra
With the current expansion of COVID-19 vaccine rollout, many students have been immunized to protect themselves from the coronavirus. After receiving their vaccines, Texas A&M students said their experiences ranged from no side effects to some feeling ill after receiving the shot. Below, students share their immunization stories from all three vaccines currently available in the United States, Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, as they become available to all adults in Texas at the end of
before but thought I was in the clear because I had tested negative twice before that,” Gallego-Ybarra said. “I did not get COVID[-19] because of the vaccine. The vaccine contains different ingredients, but the [live] virus is not one.” After her first dose, Gallego-Ybarra said her arm became sore and she developed a minor headache within an hour. She had other symptoms, but she said she believes they were caused by the virus itself rather than the vaccine because she had them for eight consecutive days. “I’ve never been so sick in my life, but I actually think getting the vaccine allowed me to not get even more sick with my asthma,” Gallego-Ybarra said. “Still to this day I have breathing issues and develop random migraines, so I urge people to get vaccinated
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Allied health senior Paige Eley works in an emergency room and was offered the Pfizer vaccine through her job when essential healthcare workers were prioritized early on to help keep those practicing medicine safe. “I had no side effects after the first dose,” Eley said. “After the second [dose] I had fever, chills and headache for less than one day and was totally fine after.” Eley said though it is less common for college-age people to be admitted to the hospital for COVID-19, it is still something she has seen throughout the last year. “One important thing to note is that young and healthy people can still get very sick from COVID[-19],” Eley said. “I think the vaccine is still important to get even if you aren’t worried about being sick, even if you’ve had COVID[-19] before. We aren’t sure how long immunity lasts, so you should still get the vaccine even if you’ve already had COVID[-19].” TESTIMONIALS ON PG. 3
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SWEET 16 CONTINUED with two back-to-back layups in the typical closer fashion she’s become known for. Nixon said she dedicates Wednesday’s win to former A&M men’s basketball player David Edwards, who was her coach in her home state of New York. Edwards passed away from COVID-19 on March 23, 2020. “Today was for him,” Nixon said. “I didn’t tell anybody — I just wanted to win the game. It didn’t matter how it happened. There was a little something in me that wanted to do something for him, to dedicate to him for his memory. It’s always extremely surreal when you set a standard for yourself or you challenge yourself to rise to an occasion and actually do it … I can just hear him in my head. He was one of my biggest fans. This game is for him.” After closing Iowa State’s early lead to five points by halftime, the Aggies were unable to take control of the game in the third as the Cyclones’ deep shots kept falling to stretch A&M’s deficit back to double-digits. Iowa State entered the game fifth in the nation from three-point range, making 35.8 percent of their attempts, and hurt the Aggies early with a pair of deep shots to open the game. A flurry of three-pointers in the first and third quarters kept Iowa State in the lead
TESTIMONIALS CONTINUED Lindsay Malik Health senior Lindsay Malik received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after registering at the A.P. Beutel Health Center on campus. Malik said she initially felt fine after she received the first shot, though later that night she started experiencing a variety of symptoms. “My entire body was aching, if someone touched me it felt like needles were stabbing into my skin, and I was running a fever and woke up almost every hour of the night,” Malik said. “I really just layed in bed and I took Tylenol Cold and Flu, which helped a lot. The symptoms lasted for about 24 hours, and after that I was back to normal.” Malik said it is important to get vaccinated because herd immunity is not possible without enough people getting the shot. She also said she recommends students get their shots on a Friday so they have the weekend to recover. “Despite my symptoms and side effects that I had, I still would do it again,” Malik said. “In the end I am protecting myself, and I am also protecting those around me like my Grandpa
— one they would keep for over 40 minutes of the game. The Cyclones finished the game 16-of-30 for 53.3 percent from behind the arc. While Iowa State was relentless from the three-point line, the Aggies put together their worst performance from three since going 0-of-4 against Georgia on Jan. 4. Against the Cyclones, A&M was 4-of-19 from beyond the arc for 21.1 percent. The Cyclones’ junior guard Ashley Joens, who entered the game averaging 23.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, provided a challenge for the Aggies. Though A&M held her to just three points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field in the first quarter, Joens found her groove after the second, finishing the game 9-of-23 with 32 points and 18 rebounds, including a 10-point performance in the fourth quarter. The Cyclones were dominant early, going 6-of-7 from three in the first quarter and shooting 85.7 percent of their three-point attempts to keep A&M at bay. A&M’s defense woke up in the second quarter as the Aggies faced a 10-point deficit, limiting the Cyclones to 40 percent from three-point range before halftime. Nixon tried to spark something for the Aggies with their first three-pointer of the game to start the second quarter, and it almost worked as she contributed four more points
and my family and friends.” Paige Brown Business senior Paige Brown got the Moderna vaccine in her home county when she saw they were opening eligibility to everyone in the area. Brown said the day she received the vaccine she was fine, but the following day she ran a slight fever and felt off. “The main reason [I got the vaccine] is so I could see my family again and not feel weird about it. With living in a college town, when I would come [home] I did not want to get anyone in my family sick,” Brown said. “I would much rather get a vaccine and endure a day of discomfort in order to trade that for peace of mind.” Brown said getting the vaccine was important to her because she wanted to keep those around her safe, including her grandparents who canceled both Thanksgiving and Christmas plans to make sure no one would spread the virus in a large gathering. When it comes to getting the vaccine, Brown said she encourages others to follow in her footsteps to ensure the safety of all. “Do it, especially because [being] college students does not mean we are not around peo-
on a 6-0 run to put the Aggies within three. However, Iowa State answered with an 11-3 run to climb back to a double-digit lead. Nixon went 6-of-12 for 14 points in the second frame to put A&M within five going into the half down 35-30. While the Cyclones’ were hot from beyond the arc, the Aggies couldn’t get much going from behind the arc, finishing the first half just 1-of-7. Each time the Aggies managed to find some momentum on the night, Iowa State used its consistent three-point shooting to keep the game just out of reach until the final minutes, but Nixon said the challenge was nothing new for her team. “Adversity is nothing new to us,” Nixon said. “This entire year, if only you guys knew. It’s just who we are. We fight, never say die. At no point do we get down on ourselves. Do we have some breakdowns? 100 percent. Is Iowa State a great team? 100 percent. But we know who we are, we know what we can do, and we just stuck with our game plan and we dug deep. We made plays when we needed them. That’s who we are, that’s who we’ve been all year. Big moment, gotta step up, gotta play together.” Trailing by nine at the start of the fourth quarter, Alexis Morris attempted to make something happen with A&M’s second three-pointer of the night, which kicked off a
ple that are at risk,” Brown said. “For me, if something is easy, free and will help others, there is no reason not to do it.” Marina Garcia Journalism senior and residential advisor Marina Garcia got her first dose of the Moderna vaccine because it was offered to RAs on campus. Garcia said she received a helpful vaccine fact sheet from Beutel when she received her shot. “As of right now my arm is just sore, which is how you would normally feel when you get a shot, so it’s nothing crazy,” Garcia said. “I asked the lady who was administering it what some of the side effects were, and they just said that normally the second dose is when you might get flu-like symptoms but nothing severe.” Garcia said she has had many friends reach out to her after she received the vaccine. She believes it is important
6-0 run for the Aggies. Desperate to hold onto the late momentum, A&M kept Iowa State’s lead at single-digits through the end of regulation, as Nixon put up eight fourth quarter points to lead the comeback effort that tied the game with five seconds remaining. A&M’s defense held Iowa State to seven points in overtime, allowing just one successful three-point attempt in the five minutes. Ashley Joens put up just two points on a pair of free throws in the extra quarter. Nixon led the Aggies to close out the game, putting up seven points on 3-of-6 shooting and laying in the game-winner in the paint. A&M will face No. 3 seed Arizona at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 27. “People have doubted us all year,” Blair said. “Yeah, they’ve given us credit. ‘Yeah, you won the SEC, but are you really that good?’ We’re not sure how good we are, but we know we’re good every night at giving you the energy and giving you entertainment.” With all the emotions that came with Wednesday’s win, Nixon said she is feeling one most of all: gratitude. “We’ve worked so hard this year,” Nixon said. “We clawed back in this game, we worked so hard in this game. We didn’t want to go home tonight. I’m glad we’re still dancing.”
to share experiences with those who have not yet been innoculated. “I know there are so many unknown factors, but read up on it and know what exactly you are signing up for,” Garcia said. “I think that it is important because college towns are huge hotspots for COVID[-19] and a lot of people aren’t being exactly safe with COVID[-19] and trying to prevent the spread. The more [people] that we have vaccinated can help decrease those numbers and potentially save lives.” Editor’s Note: Marina Garcia is a former news writer for The Battalion.
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The Battalion | 3.25.21
FILE
Texas A&M will continue monitoring COVID-19 trends to make adjustments to the fall 2021 semester as necessary.
trends around the country and county and make adjustments as necessary. “Please know that your health and The fall schedule will be released to stu- well-being are important to us as we make dents on April 27, with pre-registration be- this transition,” Weichold said. “While the ginning April 29-May 12. Open registration fall semester is five months away, we will be will follow on May 13. Summer course reg- monitoring conditions carefully. If changes istration will remain on April 1-16. are needed, we are prepared to adjust approWhile many welcome this change, Texas priately. We will continue to inform you as A&M will continue following COVID-19 close to real-time as possible so that you are aware of the direction the university is taking.” The university will release additional inTEXAS A&M STUDENT MEDIA formation and guidINVITES APPLICATIONS FOR ance in preparation for the fall semester in the upcoming days.
IN-PERSON CONTINUED
Editor-in-Chief
BATTALION
Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION
According to health experts, over 20 million Texans will have to be fully vaccinated before the state reaches herd immunity.
VACCINE CONTINUED immunity, according to health experts. For Texas, this means that at least 20,300,000 of its 29 million citizens should be vaccinated, though almost a quarter of that are under the age of 18. “Of the three vaccines available, only the two-dose Pfizer vaccine is available for ages 16 and up,” the article reads. “The others, manufactured by Moderna and Johnson &
Johnson, are available for ages 18 and up.” Although appointments will be open to everyone 18 and up, the Texas Department of State Health Services, or DSHS, is asking health care providers to prioritize people 80 years old and up to ensure as small a burden on this age group as possible. Texas will soon launch a website for adults to register for the vaccine at their local health centers and clinics. For more information about Texas’s vaccine rollout plan, visit https://dshs.texas.gov/covidvaccine/.
THE
TEXAS A&M STUDENT MEDIA INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR
The IndependenT STudenT VoIce of TexaS a&M SInce 1893
Summer 2021 & Fall 2021–Spring 2022 Summer editor oversees print, digital and special editions from May 24, 2021, to Aug. 15, 2021. Fall and spring editor oversees print, digital and special editions from Aug. 16, 2021, to May 14, 2022.
Qualifications for editor-in-chief of The Battalion are: REQUIRED • Be a Texas A&M student in good standing with the University and enrolled in at least six credit hours (4 if a graduate student) during the term of office (unless fewer credits are required to graduate); • Have at least a 2.25 cumulative grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) and at least a 2.25 grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) in the semester immediately prior to the appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during the term of office. In order for this provision to be met, at least six hours (4 if a graduate student) must have been taken for that semester. PREFERRED • Have completed JOUR 301 or COMM 307 (Mass Communication, Law, and Society) or equivalent; • Have at least one year experience in a responsible editorial position with The Battalion or comparable daily college newspaper, – OR – Have at least one year editorial experience with a commercial newspaper, – OR – Have completed at least 12 hours in journalism, including JOUR 203 (Media Writing I) and JOUR 303 (Media Writing II) or JOUR 304 (Editing for the Mass Media), or equivalent.
Applications are available by request from editor@thebatt.com or dpils@tamu.edu. They should be returned to Douglas Pils, Student Media General Manager, in MSC Suite L410 or dpils@tamu.edu. Application deadline: 5 p.m. Monday, April 5, 2021.
Editor
Aggieland 2022
Qualifications for editor-in-chief of the Aggieland yearbook are:
REQUIRED • Be a Texas A&M student in good standing with the University and enrolled in at least six credit hours (4 if a graduate student) during the term of office (unless fewer credits are required to graduate); • Have at least a 2.25 cumulative grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) and at least a 2.25 grade point ratio (3.25 if a graduate student) in the semester immediately prior to the appointment, the semester of appointment and semester during the term of office. In order for this provision to be met, at least six hours (4 if a graduate student) must have been taken for that semester; PREFERRED • Have completed JOUR 301 or COMM 307 (Mass Communication, Law, and Society); • Have demonstrated ability in writing, editing and graphic design through university coursework or equivalent experience; • Have at least one year experience in a responsible position on the Aggieland or comparable college yearbook.
Applications are available by request from aggieland.yearbook@gmail.com or dpils@tamu.edu. They should be returned to Douglas Pils, Student Media General Manager, in MSC Suite L410 or dpils@tamu.edu. Application deadline: 5 p.m. Monday, April 5, 2021.
Brady Stone, Editor-in-Chief Myranda Campanella, Managing Editor Julia Potts, News Editor Bec Morris, News Editor Hannah Underwood, Sports Editor Jennifer Streeter, Asst. Sports Editor Casey Stavenhagen, Asst. Sports Editor Shelby McVey, Life & Arts Editor Jessica Le, Asst. Life & Arts Editor Amina Butt, Maroon Life Editor
Joshua Howell, Opinion Editor Caleb Powell, Asst. Opinion Editor Will Nye, Photo Chief Abbey Santoro, Asst. Photo Chief Mitchell Beddingfield, Multimedia Editor Annie Wells, Multimedia Editor Cori Eckert, Design Editor
THE BATTALION is published Thursdays during the 2021 sprint 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. Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising call 979-845-2687. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email: battads@thebatt.com. Subscriptions: A part of the University Advancement Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1.
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The Battalion | 3.25.21
A&M professors explain what a
ROO means for College Station
Josh Sozio — THE BATTALION
If adopted, College Station’s Restricted Occupancy Overlay will restrict the number of unrelated individuals who can live together to only two.
Professors weigh-in on potential Restricted Occupancy Overlay By Aubrey Vogel @aubrey_vogel The College Station City Council continues to consider adopting the Restricted Occupancy Overlay, or ROO, for neighborhoods in the area after holding several meetings and surveying members of the community. According to the city of College Station’s website, the ROO was introduced to the city when neighborhoods came forward in the summer of 2020 with concerns that houses were becoming overpopulated due to many Texas A&M students living together. If the ROO is adopted in College Station, single-family neighborhoods will be able to limit the number of unrelated individuals who can live in a home together to only two individuals. Political science professor Anthony Ives
said he has seen this type of zoning restriction before in other cities such as Lexington, Va., where he attended college. Ives said this is a common type of zoning seen throughout the United States. “The town that I went to college in was a very small town, much smaller than College Station, and they actually had a somewhat similar restriction there even though it is a very small town,” Ives said. “Each city in the United States has zoning power. Zoning allows cities to decide more or less how you get to use your property.” This is an example of nimbyism, Ives said, because college students are important to the community but people in the community may not want students living next door. He said this would affect the distribution of where students are living compared to the rest of the community. “It would be a constriction on your options of where to live,” Ives said. “I think college students, probably like most other people,
want as many options for living arrangements as they possibly can, and this living restriction would take that away from some students in town.” Landscape architecture and urban planning professor Van Zandt said if this ROO is passed, it will significantly reduce the amount of affordable housing for students. “A lot of the students that do choose to live in the single-family neighborhoods are sometimes the lower income students that cannot afford the high amenity apartment complexes that are so prominent in College Station,” Zandt said. In addition to low-income students, Zandt said the ROO can also affect lower income families that may have to double up with others to afford housing. “It demonstrates the lack of affordable housing that is already a problem in College Station and is just getting worse,” Zandt said. Ives said although college students may not live in College Station permanently, students
should consider engaging in local politics during their time at A&M because their political activism is important not only for themselves but also for future Aggies. “Even though you will move on out of here within three to five years as a student, the university always needs representation,” Ives said. “If the number of students participating in city council events or city council elections is low then the students’ interests [long-term] will not be represented as this permanent interest that happens.” Zandt said an issue like this is where students can step in and have their voice heard by city officials as well as a chance to interact with their local governments. “I would remind students that they are also residents of College Station and they have the same right to have their voice heard as anyone else,” Zandt said. “I think that they should feel free and encouraged to reach out to their city officials to let them know what they think about the potential for this ordinance to pass.”
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The Battalion | 3.25.21
PROVIDED
Texas A&M former student Ross King is challenging the norms when it comes to contemporary Christian music and is making his mark along the way.
Ross King is the musician we need in today’s world From Breakaway to the main stage, arts criticism writer Kevin Ferguson says Ross King is well-established Kevin Ferguson @KFerguson725
W
hen asked about their favorite artists, people familiar with contemporary Christian music would likely name artists such as Lauren Daigle, Hillsong or MercyMe. However, there is one individual who has flown under the mainstream radar while leaving quite the mark on the industry, and he happens to be an Aggie. Ross King, singer-songwriter and Class of 1994, traces his career back to his time as a student at the Home of the 12th Man. Growing up in Bryan with two Aggie
parents and the school in such close proximity, Texas A&M was a natural choice for King when it came to starting university. He enrolled in A&M as a political science major, intending to pursue law school after he graduated, but his music began to open doors he never saw coming. King’s parents had involved him in music at a young age, but it wasn’t until his college years that King picked up a guitar to facilitate his songwriting. This eventually led to him leading music for Breakaway Ministries, a Christian organization on campus with membership in the thousands. While he is not the organization’s first music leader — having followed one of Christian music’s most
popular children, Chris Tomlin — King is often credited with being the first as he helped Breakaway establish its musical identity by recording songs for the organization among other production aspects. Still, music was just a hobby for King until the spring of 1995 when he was noticed at one of his other music gigs by Caedmon’s Call, a Christian music sensation at the time. They offered King the opportunity to open a concert for them, and from there, his music career began to roll. When most seniors would be looking for jobs before graduation, King was landing more gigs and music work until it reached the point where he could sustain a living from it, and he hasn’t stopped since.
Not wanting to be apart from his family as much as a life of touring would require, King found other means to put his music to work in providing for himself. While he does play shows, King works for Centricity Music, the same record label home to Lauren Daigle. Ross also writes music for more prominent artists to take to the bigger stages of Christian music and occasionally provides songwriting workshops and music production for budding artists. When it comes to his own music, King said he prefers to discuss the topics “in the spaces between” what is already being said by more widely known musicians. Drawing from personal experience and what he sees in the world, he writes on themes such as anxiety and depression in his song “The Things That I’m Afraid Of,” or anger and weariness in “Good Company.” Recognizing that struggle is a large part of life, King said he wants people to know there are artists like him out there who are asking hard questions and talking about the struggles of life. Just recently, King released his single “All My Heroes Are Underdogs.” Although he started writing it nearly a decade ago, King said he never felt like the song was finished. It wasn’t until the surge in conflict around racial injustice in 2020 with the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others that the final pieces of the song began to develop. Having two biracial, teenage sons asking questions he couldn’t answer, King said he called to take a “deep-dive” into America’s history of racial injustice and came to realize, despite what he had first believed, he wasn’t the underdog he thought he was. He took time to reflect, considering his position in relation to those less privileged, and asked himself what he eventually wrote in his song: Has he “ever been a villain in their story?” This is among the real questions and reflections that King sings of. With so much contemporary music, religious or not, suffering from superficiality, King’s work is a much-needed voice to help people young and old contend with the deeper waters of life. Whether one is hurting, questioning their world or simply curious, Ross King might have just the song to help. King’s next album, which he says will bring more songs like “All My Heroes Are Underdogs,” is set to be released in early May. Kevin Ferguson is a telecomunications senior and an arts criticism writer for The Battalion.
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