OPINION
Opinion writer says embrace the unexpected and see what life has to o er. A7
SPORTS
A&M, at top of SEC standings, opens second half of season at Mississippi State. B1
FIRST DAY OF IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING
OCTOBER 21
Local church faces controversy
Christland Church falls under scrutiny amid abuse allegations
By J.M. Wise News Editor
The Network, a series of non-denominational churches across the United States, England and Taiwan, has recently fallen under controversy as multiple churches are leaving and denouncing the group for allegedly hiding sexual abuse its leader committed and practices endangering children.. Members are also accusing the College Station location, Christland Church, of predatory recruitment and spiritual abuse of its members.
Boiling over in a protest on Saturday, former members and families negatively impacted by The Network have been vocal online through blogs, subreddits, YouTube and Facebook.
The Network began in 1995 when Morgan founded Vine Church in Carbondale, Illinois. It was renamed when Morgan created his own group that focused on spreading its influence through new churches called “plants.”
‘Culture of secrecy’
Originally from Illinois, Emma Wright, Class of 2022, wanted to attend a church she was familiar with when she moved to attend A&M. A former Vine Church attendee, she joined Christland in 2018.
“I literally started going there when I was a baby,” Wright said. “A lot of the people who were at Christland, who planted it, lead it, currently lead it. A lot of those people I knew from Vineyard, I’ve known my entire life.”
As reported by The Battalion last year, Wright was involved in Christland through a women’s group and often felt belittled and silenced by the sermons given by Sándor Paull, Christland’s head pastor and the vice president of The Network.
“There were so many red flags that I wished I didn’t gloss over,” Wright said. “There was definitely a culture of secrecy … It was very much expected at Christland that you would obey your leaders in all things. I remember being told what kind of music to listen to and not listen to by leaders. I remember being told what kind of person to date or not date.”
In 2022, court documents from Kansas revealed that Morgan, the
Task force aims to halt opioid crisis A&M responds to drug abuse with prevention, treatment programs
By J.M. Wise News Editor
Texas’ public health system is facing a crisis fueled by opioid and fentanyl misuse. In 2023, 5,093 Texans died from drug poisoning, 45.3% of which were from fentanyl alone. In response to this trend, Texas A&M’s Opioid Task Force has been intensifying ef-
University police warns of ticket scams, ways to stay safe this season
Officers alert students about common fraud involving sports passes
By Mikayla Martinez News Editor
With anticipated Kyle Field matchups such as the LSU and Texas rivalries on the horizon, ticket scams are back, according to campus police. As Texas A&M students and fans scramble to secure tickets and sports passes to these high-demand games, many are falling victim to online scams where fraudsters pose as legitimate sellers only to deliver fake tickets — or nothing at all.
The scams are not new to this football season but continue to rise, costing people money with false promises of a valid sports pass, according to Robert Leseth, a field training and public information of-
ficer at the University Police Department, or UPD.
“What we know is that people are targeting our students and members of our community,” Leseth said. “They’re using student IDs and GroupMe to target students.”
With a recent increase in scammer reports, UPD advised students to be cautious when purchasing tickets from third-party sellers in a Facebook post.
“From what I understand, the scam works when someone’s either trying to purchase a sports pass or sell a sports pass,” Leseth said. “One of two things will happen: They’ll transfer their pass and won’t get their money, or they’ll send their money but won’t get the pass.”
According to UPD, scammers use images of other student IDs to convince buyers they are legitimate.
Leseth said students can take precautions to protect themselves from the scams.
“Be cautious and purchase your
tickets through official sources,” Leseth said. “That’s the best thing you can do to be safe. We recommend the 12th Man Foundation or SeatGeek.”
Third-party selling occurs when students sell and buy sports passes, often online using apps like GroupMe and Facebook. One group on GroupMe updated semesterly has roughly 2,700 members, most of which are current students.
Per the 12th Man Foundation, students are prohibited from reselling student sports passes for beyond the tickets’ face value. Selling for a profit is against Foundation rules.
“Be cautious,” Leseth said. “Meet somewhere physically, so meet at the ticket window. I’ve seen people do that at Kyle Field or even here at the police department — or someplace where [can] you feel safe and make that physical exchange for tickets.”
With three home games remaining this season, including two
forts to reach rural communities across the state to combat overdose deaths.
Gov. Greg Abbott declared October Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month and released an educational video featuring college football coaches, including A&M coach Mike Elko, discussing the dangers of overdosing. Aimed towards young adults, the e ort is just one of the state’s initiatives to stop the upward trend of overdose deaths among Texans, especially young adults.
At A&M, the Opioid Task
Force, or OTF, combines new research with community outreach to provide treatments and prevention for all Texans. Joy Alonzo is the co-chair of the OTF and an assistant professor at A&M’s College of Pharmacy. Established in 2018, the program encourages professionals from any healthcare branch to implement collaborative solutions to opioid overdoses.
“I remember the day when the number of overdose deaths crossed the number of tra c deaths,” Alonzo said.
high-profile SEC matchups, Leseth said the scams will likely continue to occur.
“If something feels weird, call us,” Leseth said. “The more information that we have, it always helps us identify suspects. … We always want to educate our students now to be safe.”
For those who fall victim to online scams, evidence like screenshots or digital records can help UPD identify the suspect.
“Things like handles of Venmo, usernames, Snapchat handles and
stuff like that are really beneficial,” Leseth said.
Leseth said students should remain vigilant and contact authorities if something feels suspicious. The university police phone number can be found on the back of student IDs, where reports of fraud and theft can be made.
“I’m really hoping that the Texas game comes and nothing happens — that everybody gets their tickets, gets to go see the game and that we win,” Leseth said. “It’s affecting everybody in our community.”
Chris Swann — THE BATTALION
Catherine Hunter holds a sign on the side of the road in protest of Christland Church off Highway 6 on Oct. 12, 2024.
Students wait in line for the ticket booths to open during student ticket pull for the McNeese State football game outside Kyle Field on Sept. 2, 2024. Isabel Lubrano — THE BATTALION
A lethal dose of fentanyl next to a U.S. penny for comparison. United States Drug Enforcement Administration
DARPA selects A&M to research microbe storage
Government agency seeks enhanced microbe viability technology
By Jennifer AlatuoguOkechukwu News Writer
Texas A&M has been selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, to develop a new method for preserving microbial samples. The initiative aims to enhance the long-term viability of microbial specimens, a crucial advancement for elds like medical research, biodefense and space exploration.
The project positions A&M at the forefront of biological preservation innovation, with the potential to transform how biological materials are stored and utilized in high-stakes environments. “This collaboration presents an exciting challenge for us,” Arum Han, a professor of electrical engineering, said. “We believe our work can provide a much-needed solution to current limitations in microbial preservation.”
A&M’s selection highlights its ongoing e orts to push the boundaries of scienti c research. DARPA, known for funding high-risk, high-reward projects, identi ed microbial preservation as a critical area of need, as preserving microbial samples over extended periods of time is crucial for research in extreme environments, including space and remote regions of Earth. Speci cally, A&M seeks to address issues related to sample degradation and storage.
“Being part of this project gives us a unique opportunity to contribute to real-world problems,”
Courtney Gibson, biomedical engineering graduate student, said. “This research could change how we approach everything — from disease studies to environmental monitoring.”
Collaboration between the university and DARPA is expected to intensify as the research gains momentum. A&M’s team, composed of students and faculty from various disciplines, is working to rene the preservation method.
“The interdisciplinary nature of this project is one of its greatest strengths,” Han said. “We’re bringing together experts from engineering, biology and chemistry to tackle a problem that requires multiple perspectives.”
Gibson agreed and said the collaboration has been invaluable.
“It’s given us a deeper understanding of how diverse elds can contribute to solving complex problems like microbial preservation,” Gibson said.
The existing preservation techniques are unreliable for maintaining microbial integrity in the long term, Han said.
“By collaborating with DARPA, we are aiming to develop a solution that works under harsh conditions, potentially expanding the use of microbial samples in environments like Mars or the deep ocean,” Han said.
This project could have implications beyond academic research, as well, as improved microbial preservation could bene t biotechnology, healthcare and environmental research. In healthcare, preserved microbial samples are essential for studying pathogens and developing treatments. For NASA and other space agencies, enhanced storage techniques could play a key role in future
space missions that require biological samples.
Over the coming months and years, the Aggie researchers will be required to deliver results acceptable to the government agency.
“DARPA challenges us to think quickly and e ectively,” Han said. “Their high standards push us to innovate faster and ensure the solutions we develop are practical and scalable.”
The project also provides educational opportunities for A&M students, who will participate in the research under faculty supervision. Students will engage in interdisciplinary work, combining elements of bioengineering, microbiology and materials science.
“Our students aren’t just learning theory,” Han said. “They’re applying it to critical, high-impact problems.”
A&M’s last scal year saw $1.278 billion in research funding expenditures and is only one of 24 universities to be a land-, seaand space-grant institution, a government grant giving it access to more research opportunities.
With DARPA’s support, A&M is well-positioned to lead the way in transforming microbial preservation, with potential impacts across multiple industries.
As the project progresses, the university will collaborate with other researchers to re ne and implement its preservation technique. The results could establish a new standard for microbial storage and unlock new possibilities in science and exploration.
“This is an opportunity for us to make a lasting impact,” Han said. “We’re optimistic about the outcomes and excited about the potential applications that will emerge from this research.”
Fiscal year 2023 research expenditures
Designated as a land-, sea- and space-grant university alongside being an AAU member
Association of American Universities members (AAU) Land-, sea- and space-grant universities
First research institution in the state of Texas to top a billion dollars in research funding
Instructor, students look to rebuild Mount Aggie
Ski hill seeks revival after destruction following last year’s windstorm
By Chase Bolger News Writer
When enrolling at Texas A&M, students may not expect skiing and ski classes to be part of the experience. But with the help of the Texas A&M Foundation, a nonpro t organization that serves as an academic fundraising institution for the university, the return of campus tradition Mount Aggie may be possible.
Mount Aggie was a 130-footlong pseudo-snow ski slope located on West Campus between the Omar Smith Instructional Tennis Center and the Penberthy Rec Sports Complex. Made of arti cial ski turf maintained by sprinklers, it’s now fenced o with remnants of what it once was. Kinesiology professor and ski class instructor Mike Hanik said he was disappointed seeing the destruction of the former slope.
“The rst weekend in June [2023], there was a wind storm … clocked at 80-90 miles per hour that ripped the turf, foam and the plywood from the base of the slope,” Hanik said. The Foundation has started a
fundraiser to rebuild Mount Aggie. For the estimated cost to rebuild, the foundation is raising $800,000 on its website. Because Mount Aggie is part of the PEAP program and the kinesiology academics, the university’s sports funding can’t be tapped into for the reconstruction. Currently, the foundation doesn’t have a timeline for the rebuild.
“Probably within a year of the money being raised we can have it back open,” Hanik said.
Hanik said the rebuild is bene cial to the campus and PEAP sta .
“As a class and as a tradition, it’s one of those unique experiences Aggies can have,” Hanik said. “In
the state of Texas, we’re the only college that has arti cial skiing.
That’s the cool thing, that it gives students the chance to learn, get better and get practice.”
Hanik and George Jessup, Ph.D., a retired skiing instructor and professor at A&M, said they have taught 30,000 to 40,000 students how to ski in their classes.
“Just to bring back that tradition … and to get people to where they can manage themself to safely get themselves down the mountain,” Hanik said. “That’s the cool thing about skiing, you’re controlling yourself but you’re getting some speed, just that adrenaline rush and getting connected to nature, it’s an awesome experience.”
The skiing classes taught by the PEAP program were open to students from beginner to experienced.
“I’m de nitely interested in taking skiing courses,” engineering freshman Sephehr Salari-Saeedi, who has never skied, said. “I’ve always wanted to do it.”
Coming from Virginia, Engineering freshman Alex Paecaldo agreed.
“I think a skiing course would be a fun and interesting class to take,” engineering freshman Alex Panecaldo said. “It brings back an option for students to take classes that can o er a fun and unique experience that you might not get anywhere else.”
Mount Aggie sitting in disarray after being closed due to windstorm destruction on Sept. 30, 2024.
Photos by Jackson Stanley — THE BATTALION
Graphic by Sophie Villarreal — THE BATTALION
A sign on Mount Aggie thanking former students for funding on Sept. 30, 2024.
Skis in a former classroom on Sept. 30, 2024.
Provost Sams faces critical senate
By Nicholas Gutteridge Managing Editor
Executive Vice President and Provost Alan Sams faced a critical Faculty Senate after appearing as a guest speaker to discuss his initiative to inactivate dozens of minors and certificates.
Sams appeared at the Oct. 14 meeting after weeks of faculty criticism surrounding his proposal to deactivate 52 of Texas A&M’s 320 minors and certificates due to low enrollment. Some faculty members claimed the initiative deviates from the set norm that program inactivations begin on the faculty level rather than an order from the provost, as is happening now.
“There’s a lot of questions about the process that was developed — as I understand at the request of Provost Sams — by a small group of deans,” Angie Price, speaker of the senate, said.
Sams said he had a responsibility to ensure programs justify their existence while noting he also “heard from elected officials” when discussing the inactivation’s origins. A statement previously shared with The Battalion said that in “June 2023, inquiries around the LGBTQ minor that had only a few enrolled students prompted the university to examine its programs.”
“We’ve been open about the fact that all those inquiries led us to examine how we’re evaluating the success of minors and certificates,” Sams said. “That initial outreach caused us to realize we had a minor that [had no students] in it at the time, and that caused us to look at all of them.”
Sams said he should have done a better job of directly engaging with faculty before pushing the proposal through. Only deans created the thresholds, and most faculty learned of the inactivations when directed to begin the inactivation process in August and September.
When asked by Price whether his office conducted a review of students in pursuit of a minor rather than only those who declared it, Sams said they hadn’t because there was “not a reliable and executable” way to do so.
The floor opened for questions or statements from faculty senators, beginning with professor Raymundo Arroyave who questioned Sams about students who are pursuing but have not yet declared a program.
“We could have students that are counting on these certificates because, for example, there’s one certificate in my department that substitutes for a professional certification,” Arroyave said. “Getting rid of this certificate will imply significant costs to the students because if they don’t get the certificate at Texas A&M, they will actually have to pay potentially hundreds of dollars to register for courses once they graduate.”
When professor Anthony Cahill asked if he could put a quantifiable number to the money saved, Sams said his office was unable to do so.
“I didn’t have a lot of reliability or defendability about whatever we would come up with,” Sams said.
Throughout the meeting, Sams said that rather than monetary cost, the proposals are “about focus” as A&M aims to “do bigger and better things.”
Dale Rice, former speaker of the senate, said the process has involved a series of failures that harm shared governance and transparency — the latter being “an issue for years.”
Professor Andrew Klein, the senate’s speaker-elect, said the programs founded two years ago that are now part of the inactivations were not provided a chance to grow — especially those that began alongside the disruptive launch of the combined College of Arts and Sciences.
to go into these programs just exacerbated the situation until we got it resolved,” Sams said.
Tag responded quickly, asking why student enrollments would be an issue. Sams said the enrollments would be forced and not reflective of true student interest.
“You’ve been here for 37 years, and can you help me understand why faculty were explicitly left out of this curricular process?” professor Adam Haney said when given the stand. “You know that faculty are a part of that, sir. Why were we left out of this consultative process?”
Sams responded that he was “here now” and that he had hoped to rely on deans to work and communicate with specific programs and departments.
Professor Heather Klein said the inactivation process including programs founded in fall 2022 is a mistake and “strongly” recommended that programs less than five years old be exempt. Regarding the LGBTQ minor, Klein said because the program would only be shown in the catalogs for new transfer students and freshmen, low enrollment is “completely to be expected” as it builds momentum.
“A minor is five classes, potentially six classes,” Price said. “A student wouldn’t take those in one or two years, necessarily.”
“I’m also a little confused because this went out as a done deal directive, and now you’re here saying that we need to go back and review the process,” Haney said. “If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean the [inactivations] should be put on pause until you adequately gather all of this feedback?”
Professor Leonard Bright asked Sams to what degree external political pressure influenced the decision to begin ending programs.
“I can say that that didn’t have any bearing on it at all,” Sams said.
Professor Sarah Beck expressed concern about the precedent, specifically mentioning Republican State Rep. Brian Harrison’s social media posts. Harrison has been advocating for the minor’s end, claiming it wasted taxpayer money. Upon learning it was included in the inactivations, he began taking credit for it online and in several conservative-leaning outlets.
However, the process used to inactivate the LGBTQ minor began development in August 2023 after inquiries in the previous summer.
ment when he discusses the next steps with Welsh and Price.
After further questions, Sams said the initial June 2023 inquiries into the LGBTQ minor came in the form of online articles and posts on the social media platform X. He did not remember specific posts.
“I am having some concerns about decision-making processes that are precipitated or driven by Tweets and articles — and perhaps by nameless people,” professor Grace Townsend said.
Professor Andrew Tag criticized the Office of the Provost’s requirement saying departments are not allowed to enroll students in the programs — a break of the status quo, he said.
“Allowing students to continue
“How are we going to provide a counter narrative to that and ensure other people who are not part of the shared governance are taking redit for decisions?” Beck said. “I’m also very concerned for our LGBTQ students and what message this sends to them — that a state representative removed a minor that directly relates to their identity.”
Sams said he will consider a state-
Sams pushed back against the claim, insisting that he paid attention solely to “the performance of the university and the enrollment in the programs.”
Sams was asked by multiple senators whether he would concede if the group denied certain programs.
“If this body decides, as faculty who are in charge of the curriculum, to pull an inactivation from the consent agenda because we as the faculty see value in the program, will you honor that decision as faculty?” Klein asked.
Sams said that is a decision he and Welsh will make after reviewing the feedback.
“If the Faculty Senate decides to remove your proposal in whole or in parts from our consent agenda, will you respect our decision?” Bright said.
Again, Sams said the feedback is vital so he “can make those kind of decisions going back and talking to the president.”
“So you won’t commit to respecting our decision?” Bright said.
Sams affirmed that he was there for information only.
“I’m not here to make a final decision about anything,” he said.
Senators tabled the inactivation of the analytics certificate from the Mays Business School until the next meeting to get more information on whether it is a faculty or provost decision.
The meeting adjourned at 5:23 p.m. The next Faculty Senate meeting is Nov. 11.
Provost Alan Sams answers a question asked in the Faculty Senate meeting in Rudder Tower on Oct. 14, 2024.
Professor Heather Klein questions the provost during the Faculty Senate meeting in Rudder Tower on Oct. 14, 2024.
Speaker elect Andrew Klein speaks at the Faculty Senate meeting in Rudder Tower on Oct. 14, 2024.
LIFE & ARTS
Meet The Femmatas: A&M's treble-voiced troupe
Fifteen years of love, performances, help Aggie a capella group grow into family
By Leticia Schenkel Life & Arts Writer
A strong harmony is spread through Texas A&M by a non-competing a cappella group with only 10 members: The Femmatas.
The Femmatas are an a cappella group formed of treble voices — any voice that sings within the typically higher-range treble part. They started as an all-female ensemble, but now, anybody who sings in the treble clef is welcome to audition.
Since 2009, The Femmatas have sung across the Bryan-College Station area, performing at several di erent venues. On Sunday, The Femmatas performed at OUToberfest, a Brazos County pride festival.
Bioenvironmental sciences senior Ariella Jarrett, the president of The Femmatas, leads the tightknit group of singers.
“We are literally just a group of friends who want to sing,” Jarrett said. “It doesn't even feel like a chore. It's just going to rehearsal and making music with my friends.”
That sentiment is not just held by Jarrett. Statistics sophomore Zoeya Sardar, social chair of The Femmatas, said the competitive aspect of a capella worried her prior to joining.
“But when I came to audition, everyone was so sweet and so welcoming,” Sardar said. “And I really felt that it was easy to become part of the group.”
When they are not rehearsing together, The Femmatas go on community-building retreats, where they often rent out Airbnbs and record musical releases.
The Femmatas have two ex-
tended plays on Apple Music and Spotify. Those EPs feature a cappella covers of popular songs such as “Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eilish and “Put Your Records On” by Ritt Momney.
“When you're little, you're like, ‘Oh yeah, I want to be a singer,’ but it’s hard to do that,” Jarrett said. “But being able to be in a recording studio and have the mic — I was like, ‘Wow, I could really do this.’”
The group sometimes records its tracks to see what a concert would look like.
New member — or baby femm — ecology and conservation biology freshman Claire Gibson said she felt con dent joining the dynamic group.
“I saw their booth from the [Memorial Student Center], and I really liked the energy,” Gibson said. “And I could tell that it was gonna be a good t. I'm really happy to have found a music group on campus that I could keep up with.”
Gibson said she’s preparing for her and the group’s next performance at Spookappella.
Spookappella is a free a cappella event hosted by The Femmatas and Apotheosis, the all-male a cappella group on campus, on Oct. 25. Members like Gibson get to make their own musical arrangements to be voted upon by other members into consideration. The event is part of a learning experience to allow members to arrange their own music for the group.
“I opened up Bandlab, used the power of my ears and — you know, just messing around, trying di erent things — and then I got all the parts recorded,” Gibson said. “Then, sometimes we learned songs directly from recordings, but in the past, The Femmatas have written their own sheet music to go along that learning process.”
Sardar said making her arrangement was one of her proudest moments in the group.
“One was making my rst arrangement for the group, [and]
we’re about to start learning that right now,” Sardar said. “Then also beatboxing for the group for the rst time because those were two things that I would never think about doing at the same time.”
The Femmatas have several events throughout the year to support di erent Aggie communities and perform at events such as
Senior o ers buttons, merch to Aggieland
By Tori Hillis Life & Arts Writer
From “Aggie Brat” to “Aggie Mom,” Princess Creations likely has a design that can pair perfectly with any style of Aggie spirit. The artist behind the work, biomedical sciences senior Melissa Cubas, began selling custom canvas paintings before her modern-day success with totes, keychains, buttons and more.
Cubas said she began her business — centered around her Instagram account @princess.creationz
— in 2021 after a childhood in New York City, where she grew up in a culture that deeply valued
art and creativity. She attributed her passion for design to the city and to her supportive family that always motivated her to pursue her artistic passion.
“There's a lot of gra ti in New York,” Cubas said. “That was always so pretty and inspiring to me.
I would point it out and be like, ‘That is so pretty. I want to make something like that.’”
Cubas’ rst semester in Aggieland was the rst time she wasn’t working while going to school. With few expectations, she said she took a chance and used her creative ability to start Princess Creations.
“I had never imagined how much it would grow in just the one year when I began in 2021,” Cubas said. “I began seeing people wear something that I created and
designed with my own mind, and it just inspired me to keep going and just building it into what it is today.”
Painting custom canvases was time consuming and became hard for Cubas to manage while staying focused on pursuing her degree — but then she discovered Canva.
“I started just designing Aggie-themed designs,” Cubas said.
When at Michaels the following summer, she used the rst paycheck from her new job to buy a button maker. The following semester, she launched a button collection centered around Aggie football’s game day.
“Instantly, [my] DMs were being ooded,” Cubas said. “I was gaining followers, and I was like, ‘Whoa, this is so cool.’” Cubas said seeing people wear-
OUToberfest and Take Back The Night.
“We like [to] spread joy among the community,” Sardar said. “Our concerts are kind of open to everyone who goes here, so it's just a nice way for people to kind of wind down and enjoy some music.”
The Femmatas have become a second family to their members.
“I just really found my people,” Jarrett said. “It's just such a safe place with them.”
Whether they are beatboxing with their brother organization
Apotheosis or preparing for their next gig, The Femmatas are always learning and growing with each other.
ing her designs and feeling good about them has been one of the most rewarding parts of Princess Creations.
“It's almost like a con rmation as to I'm doing something right at the end of the day,” Cubas said.
When Cubas graduates in December, Princess Creations will not be left behind. She said she has plans to expand the business online before hopefully going to physician assistant school.
“I’ve had this idea since I started Princess Creations, but because I do gain a lot of local tra c in College Station and balancing that with my school responsibilities, it just makes it hard to manage both local and online [sales],” Cubas said. At the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship’s Student Mar-
ketplace, Cubas was a vendor along with other student-owned businesses. Cubas said the Student Marketplace is a great start for student entrepreneurs, but she wished A&M would host the markets more often or even do it outside Kyle Field on game days.
“I think universities can really start showing o their student entrepreneurs by hosting more markets on campus,” Cubas said.
Her advice to college students thinking about opening their own business? Take that leap of faith.
“My advice is very simple: just start it,” Cubas said. “I actually had this idea of starting Princess Creations two years before I actually did it, and if I had known how much growth I would experience in just those two years, I would have started way sooner.”
Photo Courtesy of The Femmatas
Photos Courtesy of Princess Creations
The Femmatas pose together outside the Memorial Student Center.
Melissa Cubas poses in front of Kyle Field with three of her Princess Creations buttons.
Melissa Cubas poses with her merchandise at a market.
A collection of buttons from Princess Creations.
CAMPUS
Professor killed in incident involving garbage truck
Hilaire Kallendorf of Hispanic and religious studies dies at 50
By Nicholas Gutteridge Managing Editor
Hilaire Kallendorf, a Hispanic and religious studies professor from the Department of Global Languages and Cultures, died after being struck by a College Station garbage truck on Oct. 15.
A Facebook post from the Col-
OTF CONTINUED
“Everybody drives a car. I mean, you run the risk of having a fatal tra c accident every single day of your life. But now more people are killed in the United States, due to … opioids alone.”
Fentanyl is a rising concern for healthcare professionals and is the focus of outreach programs o ered by the OTF. As a synthetic painkiller, fentanyl is over 100 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams of fentanyl, smaller than the tip of a pencil, can be fatal to a person based on their height and weight.
“Youth overdoses have tripled year over year every year since 2019,” Alonzo said. “From a public health perspective, this makes you almost fall o your chair. You’re like, ‘What?’ There were 21 overdoses at Cleveland High School [in Houston] from August
NETWORK CONTINUED
group’s leader, was on charges of aggravated sodomy against a minor in 1987 when he was working as a youth pastor. Morgan signed a diversion agreement allowing him to avoid a criminal conviction. For Wright, the revelation was the last straw.
She left and was cut off from her friends at Christland. To this day, Wright has not heard from the majority of people she knew for four years.
Rick Alan Ross, the founder and director of the nonprofit Cult Education Institute, remains an expert in defining cults despite being a controversial figure within the cult education sphere. According to Ross, this treatment of members is a sign of authoritarian behavior not consistent with that of a typical church.
“A mainstream church will certainly acknowledge that you have a legitimate reason to leave, and they would probably say, ‘Well, we’re sorry to lose you. Please drop in when you visit. All the best. God bless you,’” Ross said.
On Saturday, Geneva Moore stood outside Christland Church with other members of FACC and LTN to raise awareness of the three Network churches in Texas. Moore is a former Network member from Joshua Church in Austin, where Morgan is the head pastor.
“I was recruited in college, like a lot of people,” Moore said. “I started my junior year of college, then I moved here to Austin to help start Joshua Church. Initially, my experience was really good … [but] the more insular it becomes, the more you realize the destructive patterns of it.”
Having devoted years of her life to The Network, Moore understood the ease and draw of groups like Christland. As a Black woman, Moore said she felt discriminated against for multiple reasons that leadership chose to not address.
lege Station Police Department, or CSPD, said the incident occurred at the Lake Walk at Traditions apartment complex around 11 a.m. CSPD said the 50-year-old professor was a pedestrian when struck. It’s unclear why the crash occurred.
The City of College Station released a statement soon after the fatal incident was reported.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life involving a City of College Station solid waste vehicle this morning,” the statement reads. “Our sincere and heartfelt
of 2023 to December of 2023. 21, and they all occurred in class on campus. … It’s not somebody going to a social event. That’s in class.”
Public health sciences graduate student Hannah League, a program coordinator with the OTF, said the group trains individuals in overdose education and naloxone administration — one of the main ways regular individuals can stop an opioid overdose.
“Our goal through those trainings is to provide education on how this problem came to be,” League said. “And then we have a … six-step action plan. What are the steps for if you do encounter someone overdosing on opioids? What steps do you take to ensure their safety and to administer that naloxone reversal to ultimately save their life?” League said.
According to Alonzo, the OTF has trained over 70,000 individuals across Texas. Those who have
condolences and prayers go to the family and all involved. The City of College Station is investigating how the tragedy occurred and will provide more details later.”
Kallendorf graduated from Texas A&M summa cum laude in 1995 with her bachelor’s degree before receiving her Ph.D. in comparative literature from Princeton University in 2000.
College Station paused waste collection for a day after the crash. An A&M spokesperson said Kallendorf was on a leave of absence at the time.
participated in Train the Trainer sessions have gone on to teach others, leading to approximately 140,000 people who now have access to opioid overdose reversal education.
“This is a real disease state — with real doctors and real drugs and real interventions that are evidence-based,” Alonzo said. “It’s not a character aw, these kids. None of them thought that this was going to happen to them.”
In response to Texas Senate Bill 619, which has required all 6th to 12th-grade campuses across Texas to have naloxone training and access to the drug, OTF has begun teaching in school districts across the state. Over the summer, League trained school resource o cers in using naloxone as well as identifying signs of an overdose.
“We just provided the training and out tted Houston ISD, the 3rd largest ISD in all of Texas, so covering about 1.5 million
kids,”Alonzo said. “We provide a model policy for their school board, and [we work] with physicians to get a standing order that is unique to each ISD that has to be signed every year.”
The OTF has also worked with A&M’s residency program in College Station and Detar to create programs that support patients with opioid use disorder. Brandon Williamson, MD, and Sidney Ontai, MD are two physicians who direct the family medicine residencies and teach future physicians about treatments.
“This is the purview of primary care physicians,” Alonzo said. “They have both courageously stood up clinics in support of people with opioid use disorder. Historically, it’s highly stigmatized care … We greatly support physicians, nurse practitioners and other types of clinicians that are trying to start up clinics to support this kind of care because we just
“Things started to get really bad for me when I moved … to Joshua Church,” Moore said. “The destructive patterns of it. The discrimination and isolation there was so systemic and orchestrated by Steve Morgan.”
Along with Moore’s experience, former members of The Network have reported discrimination against minorities and women on blogs online.
“The trauma that I experienced there was so significant that it actually led to me trying to make a suicide attempt,” Moore said. “And when I left, I went through the details of … trying to get [leadership] to understand, and their main response was that, essentially, mistakes happen and they have a clear conscience.”
Moore said that the culture of Network churches was insular to the point that when someone accused a member of being in a cult, they considered it a badge of honor.
“You can look at the website,” Moore said. “You can listen to sermons. You can interact with people, and everything seems fine. But you don’t realize until outside peo-
ple are like, … ‘You’re not the same person you were before you joined’ or having outside people describe the light leaving your eyes.”
Church attendees standing outside of Christland on Saturday did not respond to requests for comment, and Christland leadership did not respond to email, phone and in-person inquiries.
Families Divided
Melanie Hartmann of Illinois has a daughter who joined a Network church when she left for college and hasn’t spoken to her in over two years. Hartmann said at first, she was just confused.
“She had to be baptized again … and she said, ‘Well, I was never really saved’ when I confronted her,” Hartmann said. “You’re not saved outside of a Network Church. That’s the only place. They’re special. ‘Nobody does church like us.’ … It was this frantic sense of devastation and fear.”
Hartmann said her daughter’s relationship with her became strained after joining The Network which was unusual because they had al-
ways been close. Once she noticed that, other concerning behavior became apparent.
“One of the warning signs was when she married her husband after knowing him for 10 days,” Hartmann said. “He was already a member of the Network church. There was another red flag when she said, ‘Family has been my idol.’
… Some of the pastors have said that anything before the mission of the church can be an idol.”
Hartmann said that right before her daughter cut her off, she arranged a visit to talk to both of her parents.
“They teach them to make amends but not reconcile,” Hartmann said. “I believe they are instructed to kind of wrap it up, so that they feel good and have a clear conscience and then cut the family off,” Hartmann said.
After 2018, her daughter didn’t allow her to talk to Hartmann alone, and whenever she texted her, it had to include her husband.
She alleged women were not allowed to talk directly to pastors and had to go through their husbands.
“It took me a while to wrap my
don’t have enough.”
For students who are interested in assisting their community in combating the opioid epidemic, OTF o ers an ambassador program that trains students to go into their hometowns and teach organizations about the dangers of opioids.
“Our ambassador group is a great group of passionate students that are … just always ready to jump in and get involved with whatever needs that we have,” League said. “Our students come from all across campus — from engineering to college of pharmacy, from arts and sciences, [agriculture] life. I mean, all over. There are students that are passionate about this topic and want to get involved.”
With students assisting professionals, the OTF has tripled its impact and has allowed A&M to conduct the largest mass naloxone training event in the U.S. in 2020.
head around it,” Hartmann said. “There was a part of denial — like, no, not my kid. She’s a Type A personality. She’s so smart. They’re really about conformity. They say uniformity, but it’s about conformity.”
Hartmann said her daughter often made excuses for not coming to family gatherings that she had never missed before joining The Network. If she ever visited home, she would arrive on a Friday evening and leave to be able to serve in church on Sunday.
Moore experienced the same pressure at Joshua Church and still feels the impact years later.
“I experienced a lot of trauma here,” Moore said. “It affected my mental health in very significant ways. What I wished someone told me when I was that age is that if you have outside opinions — unbiased parties that tell you concerns about something that you’re a part of — you should listen to them.”
Moore and Hartmann both expressed concern about college students being “love bombed,” a practice in which people are influenced by demonstrations of affection and attention.
“They may approach someone in a very friendly way and extend an invitation to some activity that isn’t necessarily religious,” Ross said. “For example, there are some groups that have volleyball games, hay rides, potluck dinners … in that sense, you don’t really know what you’re getting into.”
Christland’s registered student organization status was revoked last spring, but Wright was uncertain that it would stop them from recruiting on campus. Various founding members of Christland work on campus in senior positions.
“The Network churches have a pattern of continuing to use methods that have harmed people over and over again, even when they have been called out on it,” Wright said. “I want to warn people, and students in particular, about Christland. It’s not a safe place.”
Signs made by protesters who were protesting against alleged abuses by the Christland Church on Oct. 12, 2024.
Abdurahman Azeez — THE BATTALION
Photo by Texas A&M
Chris Swann — THE BATTALION
Chris Swann — THE BATTALION
Katherine Hunter and Vera Hernandez tie balloons to signs placed on the side of the road in front of the Christland Church off Highway 6 on Oct. 12, 2024.
Katherine Hunter walks with a sign behind her back outside the Christland Church off Highway 6 on Oct. 12, 2024.
Hilaire Kallendorf, professor of Hispanic and religious studies.
Choose boredom: put down your phone and look up
Maybe
By Charis Adkins Opinion Editor
At the risk of sounding like a boomer, I’d like to posit one of their favorite phrases for reconsideration: “Put down that damn phone.”
They have a point, and I’ve found that I’m starting to share their sentiment.
The other day I left for class and forgot my phone charging at home.
I was already running late, so I decided to just rawdog the day and was shocked at how often I reached for it — from the short 20-second wait at the University Ave. stoplight to the shorter ride in the elevator, I found myself patting my empty back pocket more times than I could count, and I’d wager that most of you reading this have experienced the same.
It’s time to break this cycle, Ags. There’s a whole world out there, but we’re so caught up in our screens we never see it.
Your phone is sitting right next to this newspaper, isn’t it? I bet it’s within arm’s reach right now.
When was the last time you walked to class without headphones or earbuds? The last time you woke up and didn’t immediately check your phone? The last time you ate without YouTube?
That’s what I thought.
We live in a world that makes it easy to be constantly engaged — whether it’s Snapping with friends, doomscrolling on Twitter or lling every spare moment with music and podcasts, you’re only a tap away from an endless supply of information and entertainment at all times.
Is it so wrong that we’ve succumbed to the temptations of technology? I don’t think so. In an ever-expanding world, it’s all we can do to keep up. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to stay grounded.
Boredom is in short supply these days, but doing nothing is a balm for your brain. It’s good for creativity, task engagement and productivity. It sounds counterintuitive, but
boredom is the co ee beans to the myriad Yankee Candle smells of your life. If you’re running from class to class, pumping out assignments and lling your spare moments with eating, TikTok and spending time with friends, your body doesn’t have a chance to calibrate.
One of my summer reads this year was “The Stranger” by Albert Camus, written back in the dark ages before smartphones were even a blip on the map. When Meursault, the protagonist, is incarcerated in the monochrome nothingness of the prison, he begins retracing his life in as much detail as he can recall.
“And the more I thought about
it, the more I dug out my memory things I had overlooked or forgotten. I realized then that a man who had lived only one day could easily live for a hundred years in prison. He would have enough memories to keep him from being bored.”
Now, perhaps Meursault isn’t the best role model given his homicidal tendencies and clinical indi erence to, well, everything, but he’s got boredom gured out all right.
Sometimes laying in bed staring at the blades of your ceiling fan is just the palate cleanser you need, and from that nothingness comes memories and fantasies and daydreams.
Can you remember the last time you really teased out a daydream? Laid in bed and let it completely overtake you, living out that life in your head? Imagination is good for you, and just like your other muscles, it should be exercised once in a while.
There’s another equally important side to the boredom coin: mindfulness, or paying attention and living in the moment. Mindfulness is when, instead of pulling up Instagram while waiting for the bus, you watch the trail of ants marching their little lives away in the Memorial Student Center grass.
Mindfulness is looking. Look, look around at the world, at how
beautiful everything is. Let that childlike wonder come back to you as you appreciate … everything.
You’re only at A&M for four, maybe ve years. You’re only here on earth for 80 or 90. Do you really want to spend it mindlessly scrolling through social media? It’s time to put down the screens and try thinking for once. Now, go. Go daydream, go for a walk, go wallow in bed and be bored.
Put down that damn phone and go do nothing for a while. Who knows? You might even like it.
Charis Adkins is an English senior and opinion editor for The Battalion.
OPINION
Humanity’s obsession with predicting the future
Embracing unexpected outcomes can lead to far greater possibilities
By Daniel Fu Opinion Writer
Humanity was convinced for millennia that all swans were white. But with the sudden discovery of a single and rather unremarkable black swan, everything was turned upside down in an instant.
Just as we rmly believed all swans were white, we also tend to rmly believe we can predict the future — even though there will always be that unforeseen black swan.
Just take a look at history.
In Ancient Greece, there was a designated gure, the Oracle of Delphi, who would be consulted to predict the outcomes of wars, political decisions and personal matters. With astrology, humans tried to use nature’s grandeur to instill a spiritual sense of understanding the future.
Despite these e orts, outcomes of wars and political decisions often did not align with the predic-
tions, as seen when King Croesus of Lydia misinterpreted the Oracle’s prophecy and lost his kingdom to Persia.
Now look closely at the nancial systems that drive our world. Every day, trillions of dollars move through these markets, all based on humanity’s unwavering belief that we can predict the future. Whether it’s families or corporations, fortunes rise and fall on our attempts to foresee what lies ahead.
Yet, time and again, economies defy predictions, surprising us with unexpected downturns, booms or crises. Even the most seasoned experts often miss the mark, proving that no amount of analysis can fully account for the unpredictable forces that shape global markets.
How about the 2016 election?
A plethora of predictions were thrown left and right to ultimately an outcome that shocked a majority of US citizens.
Even though we’re obsessed with predicting the future, those events are shaped by an almost innite number of factors — far too many for anyone to fully account for.
Acting upon unrealistic predictions can have drastic consequences on not only society as a whole, but our personal lives especially.
Take romance, where humans desperately try to de ne an ideal type and then search for someone who matches that image.
It’s almost foolish to believe that anyone can nd someone who perfectly ts all their idealistic checkboxes. We usually end up falling for people who are nothing like the “ideal” we imagined anyways. Moreover, once in a relationship, how often do we make promises about the future, only to have them shattered by a breakup?
In my own experience, I often map out the trajectory of romantic relationships. I throw all future possibilities into a boiling pot of thoughts in my head and try to anticipate everything.
Yet, every single time, I’m wrong. And it’s terribly dangerous.
I get the notion that this person is meant to be in my life for the long run, and I end up overlooking so much. Red ags suddenly become beige, and my judgment
fogs up. Then, when things eventually turn sour, I look back in hindsight and ridicule myself for failing to miss all the bad signs.
Even the passion that one feels will last forever, though however strong, truly doesn’t last.
But this isn’t to say we shouldn't plan. In fact, planning is vital for structuring our lives and making progress.
But there’s an important distinction to make: Planning doesn’t mean clinging to a single path.
Flexibility and adaptability are equally important. Expecting the unexpected — whether it’s innance, school or love — ensures we’re not thrown o course when things don’t go as planned. Instead of feeling disillusioned, we become more resilient, ready to pivot when life throws a black swan our way. In fact, some of humanity’s greatest achievements came from embracing the unknown.
Almost all of the most established “successful” gures of society, like Je Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg, had to venture into areas previously deemed impossible and prove their worth. Unpredictabil-
ity didn’t mean failure for them — it paved the way for success. They’re a powerful reminder that even when our predictions fail, the future holds possibilities beyond our wildest imagination. So in the end, it’s not about abandoning the instinct to plan or predict the future — it’s about understanding the limits of those predictions.
Life is always going to throw us surprises, the kind that no amount of foresight can capture. We think we can map out our lives with perfect clarity, but more often than not, the roads we take are the ones we never saw coming. It’s often the unexpected that shapes us the most. And maybe that’s the beauty of it. The future isn’t something we can, or should, try to fully control. The real challenge is learning to embrace the uncertainty, letting it guide us rather than ght against it. In doing so, we open ourselves up not just to the possibility of failure — but to the possibility of something far greater than we ever could have planned.
Daniel Fu is a nance sophomore and opinion writer for The Battalion
You need to embrace 'howdy' to earn your 'Here'
Say it with your chest: 'howdy' today, tomorrow, forever
By Maddie McMurrough Opinion Columnist
Howdy.
To most of the world, the term “howdy” conjures images akin to a Clint Eastwood western. If you said “Howdy!” to someone who is not an Aggie, they’d assume you were preparing for a Mexican stando for the position of town sheri . The deadliest dillinger on this side of the Mississippi.
But when you say “howdy” to an Aggie, it’s a word that conjures images of home.
I can hear the train whistle blow and the roar of a packed night at Kyle Field. I see the most beautiful sunset over campus and the crisp khaki uniform of a cadet. I can smell the Dixie Chicken and the rain after getting caught in it on the way to class.
“Howdy” is the universal language of Texas A&M. So why is it that we don’t say it much anymore?
When was the last time you said howdy? Was it in an email to your professor, trying to prove that you’re redass enough to deserve extra credit? Was it at a job interview where an Aggie alum was looking to hire, and you knew they couldn’t resist hiring another “proud” Ag? Was it on a campus tour or in a class in response to a lecturer trying to get you excited about whatever they were talking about? Unfortunately, those scenarios don’t count.
OK, when was the last time you saw an Aggie out in the wild — and by “wild,” I mean outside of Texas? Did you say howdy, or did you ignore the gold ring and keep walking?
I’ll make it simple: When was the last time you said “howdy” with feeling? Not for some sort of gain but rather the simple pleasure of connecting with a fellow Aggie. I can bet you a round at the Chicken that you haven’t said “howdy” with feeling since Fish Camp.
This one word unites thousands of people. How cool is that? This ve-letter word sends you back to when you opened your acceptance letter, got your ring, crossed that graduation stage and everything in between. These two syllables can be understood across language barriers, across party lines and even across religions. Because what forges that bond in Aggie gold is the universal privilege of experiencing life at this university. We’ve all gotten out of breath climbing the stairs of Heldenfels. We’ve all missed a class because the train decided to come when we were already 15 minutes late. We’ve all cried, stressed and struggled here. But we’ve also fallen in love here. Adopted our furry best friends here. Met the people we can’t live without here. Some have even had their babies here. Without that rst howdy, you wouldn’t be a part of the greatest university and community in the world.
At your very core, you are and always will be an Aggie if you keep that re burning. That spark begins with a simple howdy. Not only that, howdy is a cycli-
cal tradition. A tradition that began before you were born and will continue after you die.
Howdy is the beginning of our life as Aggies. The end comes when Aggies who know nothing about you will gather together at Muster to say “Here” to remember you and what unites us. Because no matter how little they knew of you in life, they mourn you as one of their own. Because you are their Aggie family. To get a “Here,” you have to start with a “howdy.”
at
We cannot let this tradition fade away. Our traditions and remembrance of the Ags that came before us are what make us special.
cause you are their on
Bring back “howdy,” and really feel it when you say it. Remind your fellow Aggies what it feels like to dunk your ring, visit the Bon re Memorial for the rst time and watch the sun set on our university. Remind them that we are a part of something bigger, and that starts with ve letters, two syllables and one word. Howdy.
Like Oscar Wilde said: expect the unexpected.
Maddie McMurrough is an agricultural communications and journalism senior and opinion columnist for The Battalion.
ENTERTAINMENT
October 17, 1931
Gangster Al Capone is arrested for tax evasion, the only charge that would successfully put him behind bars and take him o the top of the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list.
October 18, 1867
America takes possession of Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia for $7.2 million,
October 19, 1987
The Dow Jones Industrial Average experiences its largest single-day drop in the history of the stock market, falling almost 23% in what is now known as Black Monday.
October 19, 1781
The British surrender at Yorktown, signifying the end of ghting in the American Revolution.
October 20, 1947 Congress begins its investigation into alleged Communists in Hollywood as part of the Red Scare.
October 21, 1964
Musical and best picture winner “My Fair Lady” premieres.
October 22, 1962
The Cuban Missile Crisis begins, marking a tense period of the Cold War between the U.S. and Russia.
Aggies aim to kennel Bulldogs
A&M seeks change of fortune in Starkville after pattern of losses
By Andrew Paredes Sports Writer
No. 14 Texas A&M football has had a successful rst half of the 2024 season. Few scenarios could have played out better for the Maroon and White. The Aggies are in year one of a new coaching regime, lost their starting quarterback for multiple games and are 5-0 since losing their season opener on Aug. 31. Mississippi State’s rst half of the season bears some similarities to the Aggies, but has taken a different turn. The Bulldogs are in the rst year of coach Je Lebby’s
tenure, lost their starting QB for the season and are in the middle of a ve-game skid following a win in their season opener.
Saturday’s kicko between the Aggies and the Bulldogs in Starkville, Mississippi is set for 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network.
The Aggies are coming o a bye week after beating then-No.
9 Missouri, 41-10. In that game, A&M saw the return of redshirt sophomore QB Conner Weigman, who led an o ense that scored 34 points before Missouri could respond.
“Being back to feeling goodnally is a good feeling,” Weigman said during Monday’s press conference.
The 1-5 Bulldogs have looked better than their record shows, as they remained competitive for large stretches in their losses to
No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia.
“I know the results maybe aren’t exactly what they’ve wanted them to be,” A&M coach Mike Elko said. “But if you look at the way they’re still competing, if you look at the way they’re still improving, I think it’s an extremely dangerous football team.”
Historically, the Bulldogs have remained neck and neck with the Aggies. The record between the two Maroon and White squads alltime is 8-8, and 6-6 since A&M joined the SEC in 2012.
The last time the Aggies played the Bulldogs in 2023, A&M came out on top, 51-10. The next morning, after the game, A&M red coach Jimbo Fisher. The 2023 campaign already felt lost for an A&M team that was 6-4 and had just lost three of its last ve.
This time, the stakes are much
di erent for an Aggie group sitting at the top of the SEC. Both No. 5 Georgia and No. 7 Alabama have losses to SEC opponents, and the only two teams that are undefeated in the SEC outside of the Aggies are their two greatest rivals: No. 1 Texas and No. 8 LSU. The Tigers come into town next Saturday for what could be A&M’s most important game yet. This game against the Bulldogs could be a trap game for an A&M team coming o a big win, a bye week and a rival coming into Kyle Field the following week. The Aggies must take their time and focus on the opponent in front of them if they don’t want to be upset.
“Full expectation is that we’re going to have our hands full going down to Starkville — we always do,” Elko said. “We’re not very good in Starkville as a program.”
A&M is 2-4 against the Bulldogs when they play in Davis Wade Stadium. The last time the Aggies and Bulldogs faced o in Starkville in 2022, the Bulldogs came out on top, 42-24, and gave A&M its rst SEC loss in what was the start of a six-game losing streak.
“What makes it a hard place to play is they’re always really talented and they play well at home,” Elko said. “It’s going to be a really, really di cult place to play on Saturday.”
It’s been a point of emphasis this week to not underestimate Mississippi State and its record, sophomore linebacker Tauren York said.
“Coach Elko reminded us about our record in Starkville,” York said. “We’re excited for it, we’re looking forward to the challenge come Saturday.”
Scourton, Wrecking Crew look to wrangle freshman quarterback Van Buren
By DJ Burton Sports Writer
The Texas A&M football team will head o to Starkville, Mississippi at 3:15 p.m. Saturday to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in just its second true road game of the season. The Aggies enter the contest as the No. 14 team in the nation and the leaders of the SEC with a 5-1 overall record and a 3-0 mark in conference play.
The Bulldogs are the antithesis of the Aggies, sporting a 1-5 overall record and are 0-3 in conference play. Here are some players to watch as A&M tries to avoid the trap in Davis Wade Stadium:
Nic Scourton, junior defensive end, Texas A&M:
The Bulldogs’ o ensive line has struggled when it comes to protecting the quarterback. Their group has already allowed 19 sacks on the season, which is tied for 122nd in FBS. The Aggies have tallied 14 sacks in their six games, which is tied for 37th.
Luckily for the Aggies, they
have a guy. Scourton has 4.5 sacks in 2024, with 3.5 of them coming in his last two games. Last week’s rest may end his hot streak, but it would be surprising given Mississippi State’s lack of success in the protection department. Watch for Scourton to live in the back eld on Saturday.
Michael Van Buren Jr., freshman quarterback, Mississippi State:
Van Buren put on a show last week at No. 5 Georgia. The former 4-star QB was ranked No. 58 on the ESPN Top 300 list coming out of high school.The true freshman threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns in the loss, becoming just the second QB in program history to throw for over 300 yards against Georgia. His performance was enough to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors.
Coach Mike Elko had high praise for the young quarterback in A&M’s Monday press conference.
“[Mississippi State’s] ability to stretch the eld is probably the most impressive thing that jumps o the tape,” Elko said. “He’s got great arm talent. He can throw the ball a mile.”
Slowing Van Buren down will be a major focus for the Aggies’ defense come Saturday.
Le’Veon Moss, junior running back, Texas A&M:
Moss had a monster day last time out against Missouri. The Walker, Louisiana native put up 138 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Aggies’ decisive win over the Tigers, bringing his season totals to 609 yards and six touchdowns. Moss had a 75yard breakaway touchdown that served as the dagger early in the second half.
The Aggies have one of the best rushing attacks in the country, averaging 232.3 yards per game, sitting at ninth in the nation. Mississippi State allows an average of 201.8 rushing yards per game on the season, putting them tied for 119th in FBS.With a matchup this unfavorable for the Bulldogs, look for Moss to have a day.
Isaac Smith, sophomore safety, Mississippi State:
When it comes to making tackles, Smith is a heat-seeking missile. In just his second season with the Bulldogs, Smith has racked up 56 tackles on the season and is averaging 11.2 tackles per game, which puts him at second and rst in the SEC, respectively. Smith has been the Bulldogs’ leading tackler in four of the ve games he has appeared in this season.
Mississippi State coach Je
Lebby was impressed with Smith early in the season.
know, a guy that is violent when he gets to the football, [and] he is playing incredibly hard.” Whenever an Aggie hits the ground hard, look for Smith to be the one making the
Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Enai White (6) and Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Stewart (4) tackle Missouri Tigers running back Nate Noel (8) in the backfield during Texas A&M’s game against Missouri at Kyle Field on Oct. 5, 2024.
Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Terry Bussey (2) braces before getting tackled during Texas A&M’s game against Missouri at Kyle Field on Oct. 5, 2024.
Field on Oct. 5, 2024.
Moss leads Aggie backfield against lackluster Bulldog rushing defense
Mississippi State ranks last in conference in stopping the run
By Eric Liu Sports Writer
Aggies prepare to take on pass-heavy Bulldog attack
By Mathias Cubillan Sports Writer
When coach Mike Elko returned to Aggieland to take control of Texas A&M football, there was an expectation that he would bring the expertise to transform the defense into an elite unit. While the Wrecking Crew took its lumps earlier in the season, it has rounded into one of the SEC’s finest groups — only allowing 13 points in its last seven quarters.
On paper, it may be easy for A&M to overlook Mississippi State’s 49th-ranked scoring offense, but its bombs-away nature and penchant for chunk plays creates conflicts for defenses.
Once the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, senior Baylor transfer Blake Shapen, went down for the year in Week 4 with a shoulder injury, it made sense for the offense to pull back the reins and mitigate the burden on true freshman QB Michael Van Buren Jr.
Instead, coach Jeff Lebby has continued to push the ball downfield, resulting in 13.5 yards per completion, the nation’s 28th-best mark.
“[Mississippi State’s] ability to stretch the field is probably the most impressive thing that jumps off the tape,” Elko said. “[Van Buren] has great arm talent, he can throw the
ball a mile and I think he’s getting more comfortable with the rhythm and timing with his wideouts.”
Junior wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. has been the Bulldogs’ most productive option in the passing game. The St. Louis product has already reeled in 36 catches, good for third in the conference at 447 yards.
Coleman and freshman WR Mario Craver will likely draw junior cornerback Will Lee III in several oneon-one matchups. The long corner is having a breakout season and has already gotten his hands on eight balls in addition to an interception.
“I think they have three elite wide receivers,” Elko said. “Kevin Coleman and Mario Craver are kids that can really stretch the field and take the top off of the coverage.”
Mississippi State’s spread offense uses wide splits from the wide receivers to space the middle of the field in an attempt to give the quarterback cleaner looks. The drawback of stretching the skill players so much is that the offensive line can be left isolated, lacking support from tight ends or receivers for blocking.
Consequently, the Bulldogs have given up 19 sacks, tied for ninthmost in the nation.
A&M’s defensive front has been heating up, sacking the passer 14 times in total this season. Junior defensive end Nic Scourton has led the way with 4.5 sacks, 3.5 of which have come in the last two weeks. With Van Buren not being much of a threat to run, the defensive line should be able to get after the passer without worrying about containing the quarterback.
bring Moss down, and he was able to showcase his long speed for a 75yard touchdown, his longest of the year.
After a bye week of rest and recovery following a 41-10 beatdown of then-No. 9 Missouri, No. 14 Texas A&M football is heading back on the road to face Mississippi State at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. The Aggies are fresh off their most complete offensive performance of the season, but they would do well not to overlook the Bulldogs, who gave No. 5 Georgia all it could handle in a 41-31 loss last week.
while hitting 18 out of his 22 passes. The game plan called for everyone to get involved as 10 different receivers caught a pass. Freshman athlete Terry Bussey was heavily utilized at receiver for the first time and he showed off his dynamic RAC ability. Bussey’s role should continue to evolve as offensive coordinator Collin Klein schemes up more ways to get the ball in
Questions were asked about which quarterback would start the game against the Tigers, but coach Mike Elko trotted out redshirt sophomore QB Connor Weigman to lead the offense, and he didn’t disappoint. Weigman lit up the field against the usually stout Missouri defense, throwing for 276 yards
Even with the well-balanced passing performance, the name of the game, just like it’s been all year, has been the dominant Aggie rushing attack with its fourth week of over 200 rushing yards this season. The Maroon and White have relied on the thunder and lightning pairing of junior running backs
While Mississippi State has historically had a solid defense, the Bulldogs seemingly lost their bite this year. They’re last in the SEC by a healthy margin in both points and yards given up with 33.2 and 465.7, respectively, and haven’t given up fewer than 30 points in a game since their opener against FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky. They have had a hard time creating takeaways, but doubled the amount of interceptions they had on the year by picking off senior Georgia QB Carson Beck twice, and Elko took notice.
Le’Veon Moss and Amari
“[Sophomore safety] Isaac Smith and [sophomore cornerback] Brice Pollock highlight their secondary, and it’s an improving group every single week,” Elko said. “Full expectation is that we’re going to have our hands full going down to Starkville. We always do”.
Daniels and they haven’t disap-
Daniels scored A&M’s first two touchdowns against Missouri, each from one yard out, but after that, it was a whole lot of Moss. The Tigers’ defenders just couldn’t seem to
The Bulldogs have athletes along their defensive line, but they haven’t been able to convert that athleticism to production to start the season. Junior linebacker Stone Blanton is a heavy hitter and a leader for the Mississippi State linebacker corps and should be a player the Aggies watch out for when they make it to the second level.
Wrecking Crew to battle one-sided MSU offense led by freshman QB
Similar to the passing game’s boom-or-bust mentality, the ground game for the Bulldogs has been hitor-miss. The team crossed the 150yard threshold in three games, but also failed to reach 80 yards in three games. It would be generous to call the backfield a two-headed monster, but Mississippi State has maintained a fairly even split between junior running back Johnnie Daniels and senior RB Davon Booth. Each player has toted the rock more than 50 times for a combined 486 yards.
The A&M run defense was leaky early in the season, allowing a couple games of more than 180 yards to open the season. The Aggies have responded well and have proved their mettle against the run since, only allowing 2.8 yards per carry the last two weeks.
“Rule number one for me on defense is to stop the run, so I’m very pleased with how the D-line and front seven as a whole has taken [on] the challenge to stop the run no matter who we’re playing,” sophomore linebacker Taurean York said.
Despite the Bulldogs’ grim 1-5 record, the Aggies cannot look to the future to more imposing opponents quite yet. Mississippi State’s offense has the capacity for explosive plays to quickly change the tide of a game, exhibited by hanging 31 on No. 5 Georgia a week ago.
“[Mississippi State] is a team that is getting better every single time they go out on the field,” Elko said. “I think it’s a very dangerous football team.”
Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back TJ Metcalf (18) tackles Texas A&M Aggies running back Le’Veon Moss (8) during Texas A&M’s game against Arkansas at the Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Sept. 28, 2024.
Chris Swann — THE BATTALION
Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Stewart (4) and Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman Keyshawn Blackstock (54) leap for a ball during Texas A&M’s game against Arkansas at the Southwest Classic in Arlington on Sept. 28, 2024.
Adriano Espinosa — THE BATTALION
Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Jayvon Thomas (14) attempts to tackle
Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Andrew Armstrong (2) during Texas A&M’s game against Arkansas at the Southwest Classic in Arlington on Sept. 28, 2024.
Chris Swann — THE BATTALION
Chris Swann — THE BATTALION
Around the SEC:Week
By Matthew Seaver Asst. Sports Editor
No. 7 Alabama at No. 11 Tennessee
Saturday, Oct. 12 — 11:45 a.m. on SEC Network Oklahoma Memorial Stadium — Norman, Oklahoma
South Carolina is 3-3 on the season, but could easily be 5-1 after losing to LSU and Alabama by only three and two points, respectively. Meanwhile, Oklahoma got spanked by Texas in this year’s rendition of the Red River Rivalry, 34-3. The Sooners look pathetic on the offensive side of the ball, with the ninthworst total offense in the country.
South Carolina at Oklahoma Prediction: South Carolina 28, Oklahoma 7
The Gamecocks’ defensive flock ranks 20th overall in total defense — which means they’re going to strut right into Norman, Oklahoma and feast on the Sooners. Oklahoma’s defense is nothing to brush aside, but this program offers nothing inspiring offensively. The Cocks are going to bring the Sooners to pound town.
No. 8 LSU at Arkansas
Saturday, Oct. 19 — 6 p.m. on ESPN Razorback Stadium — Fayetteville, Arkansas
The LSU Tigers defeated the then-No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels last week despite trailing the entire game. The Tigers scored the tying touchdown with 27 seconds left before sending the Rebels home with their second loss of the season in overtime.
After upsetting Tennessee in Week 6, Arkansas enjoyed a bye during Week 7, giving it extra time to prepare for this stout LSU offense.
The Bayou Bengals have won five straight behind the arm of redshirt junior QB Garrett Nussmeier, who has already thrown 18 touchdowns in 2024. The Razorbacks have been feisty all season, refusing to back down in close contests. These little piggies are gonna have their house blown down.
Prediction: LSU 35, Arkansas 21
Saturday, Oct. 19 — 2:30 p.m. on ABC Neyland Stadium — Knoxville, Tennessee
This is by far the toughest matchup to predict in Week 8 SEC action — both of these programs had stellar starts to the season but have since been upset and failed to quickly rebound. Redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava struggled against Florida in Week 7, and Alabama’s defense allowed almost 400 yards to South Carolina.
This meeting of the “Third Saturday in October” rivalry has ginormous College Football Playoff implications, as the Volunteers and Crimson Tide both have their eyes set on the postseason. The last time the Tide came to Rocky Top in 2022, the Vols were victorious — but history won’t repeat itself.
Prediction: Alabama 17, Tennessee 10
No. 5 Georgia at No. 1 Texas
Saturday, Oct. 19 — Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium — Austin
The Texas Longhorns are off to a stellar start in the program’s first year in the SEC. Redshirt junior QB Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns made an absolute mockery of the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 7. Meanwhile, Georgia only beat a pathetic 1-5 Mississippi State by 10 points. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has the Longhorns firing on all cylinders with a defense allowing the fewest points per game in the country. This is not the same Bulldogs who have feasted on the SEC in recent years, as Georgia has regressed from its previous unquestionable dominance. Keep Bevo away from Uga because things are going to get ugly in Austin.
Prediction: Texas 24, Georgia 17
By Ian Curtis Features Editor
After nursing senior Kaitlin Bowman’s second practice with the Texas A&M triathlon team, she overheard her teammates refer to a competition she’d never heard of: IRONMAN triathlon, a behemoth endurance event consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.
“All the older members were like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m going to do a half IRONMAN this year,’ or, ‘I want to do a half IRONMAN by the time I graduate college,’ or ‘I want to do a full IRONMAN by the time I’m 25 or whatever,’” Bowman said. “And when I joined, I had no clue how long any of those were, and so when they were telling me how long it was, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. There is no way I’m ever doing a half IRONMAN or a full IRONMAN.”
Fast forward a few years and thousands of miles of swimming, biking and running, and Bowman has not only completed a pair of IRONMANs, but she quali ed for the World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii after winning her age group at IRONMAN Chattanooga in Tennessee.
“During the race, I had no clue where I was in relation to the other girls in my age group,” Bowman said. “I think it was at mile 16, my mom saw me, and she goes, ‘You’re winning, but, you got to go.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t know what that means. Do I have, you know, 30 seconds on whoever’s behind me? Do I have 20 minutes?’ I had no clue.”
Bowman’s secret weapon? Her ance, Nathan Groves, Class of 2025. The couple met at A&M, and both competed together on the Aggie triathlon team.
Groves completed his rst IRONMAN at the age of 18 in his hometown of Waco, after hearing one of his middle
Two Aggies,
Kona, the “pinnacle of the sport.”
But her second attempt at a full IRONMAN was nearly over before it began: Due to Hurricane Helene, the swim portion of the race was canceled — a major disadvantage to Bowman, who grew up swimming and felt that was her strongest event.
“We were really upset,” Bowman said. “We were at dinner, and I didn’t want to talk to anybody. And I was like, ‘God, this is the worst. I’m not gonna qualify.’ Later that night, I was telling Nathan, … ‘I’ve trained for this. Like, I’m a good biker, I’m a good runner, the swim, whatever. Nobody else is doing the swim. We’re all equal in this. I’m just gonna do my best, and if I don’t qualify, don’t qualify.’”
A silver lining of the swimless race was that Groves and Bowman got to start the race together, biking and running at various points before Bowman took o to chase down the victory.
“I told her, ‘Just go ahead, like you need to. You’re here to qualify. Keep going.’” Groves said. “So she left and took o running. And when I saw her take o running, she looked like she was getting faster, going uphill. So I was pretty condent that she was gonna win the age group and qualify.”
That success doesn’t come without di culty, Bowman says. Yes, an IRONMAN is as painful as it sounds.
school teachers discuss the competition. Bowman says Groves was the one who encouraged her to give IRONMANs a try in the rst place.
“Every race we do together, I’m a faster swimmer than Nathan, but he’s an insane biker and an insane runner,” Bowman said. “So it’s always him saying, like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m gonna catch you.’ Like, making bets on where he’s gonna catch me. And so that pushes me to go faster. I know it pushes him to go faster.”
It’s about more than just being someone to race against, Groves said. It’s about having someone to train with on the days when they get out of class exhausted and still have to go on a two-hour bike ride or 10-mile run.
“Everyone talks about the race, but no one talks about the six months of training before,” Groves said. “And so being able to do that with somebody allows you to push yourself, because you aren’t just doing it alone.”
Bowman completed her rst IRONMAN a year ago in Chattanooga, and quali ed for the World Championships in Nice, France — but she turned down her spot, because she wanted to race
“I knew it was gonna hurt, but not that much,” Bowman said. “ … You just nished swimming and biking a total of 114 miles, and you get o your bike and you’re like, ‘Dang, I’ve still got to run a marathon.’ That’s a hard pill to swallow.”
But the opportunity to train and compete with Groves certainly helps make things a little less exhausting.
“Knowing that someone is just as crazy as I am and wants to do this is really supportive,” Bowman said. “And Nathan and I both have a very competitive, driven personality. And I think we push each other to want to go for bigger goals. … We spend a ton of time together, but if we can go bike ride together, run together, it’s a lot of fun that we’re able to do something like this together.” Next, Bowman sets her sights on the World Championship in Hawaii in just over a year — and her wedding to Groves just two
“I think it shows how much triathlon has impacted our lives,” Bowman said. “We weren’t willing to give up either the World Championship race nor the wedding. I’m just glad I’ll have some
Fall game brings Texas to Davis Diamond
Longhorns visit College Station as Aggies look for revenge
By Braxton Dore’ Asst. Sports Editor
An opportunity to play the Women’s College World Series runner-up — and another chance to get back at the team that has plagued the success of the two NCAA Tournament runs in the Trisha Ford era.
The stakes are high for Texas A&M softball when Texas comes to Davis Diamond for the first and only time this year for an exhibition at 7 p.m. Friday.
The last time the two met was in Austin at McCombs Field, where the Longhorns dismantled the Maroon and White’s promising season in a close 6-5, Game 3 loss in the NCAA Super Regional. Ultimately, Texas would advance to Oklahoma City and play back-to-back national champion Oklahoma in the championship series.
The pitcher duel on Friday will be vastly different from the teams’
last meeting. Losing both Shaylee Ackerman and Brooke Vestal, the Aggies will turn to old faces in the circle with seniors Emiley Kennedy and Emily Leavitt. On the other hand, the Longhorns will rely on returners senior RHP Mac Morgan and sophomore RHP Teagan Kavan.
Kavan is coming off a historic season for Texas, finishing with a 2.20 ERA and a record of 20-3 in the circle, combined with 135 strikeouts.
The Big 12 Freshman of the Year will look to shut down a new and questionable offense led by senior shortstop Koko Wooley.
The infielder tallied 60 hits with a .382 batting average in her 47 games played. After losing leaders in the batter’s box in Trinity Cannon and Julia Cottrill, the Fightin’ Farmers will have to bank on transfers and newcomers to help provide the extra effort on offense.
Since the end of last year, A&M has garnered hype in the transfer portal with the addition of a pair of Washington transfers: sophomore pitcher Sidne Peters and senior catcher Ojo Johnson. Other transfers, including junior P Grace Sparks
from Ole Miss and graduate INF Mac Barbara from San Diego State, will also look to bolster the experience of the team after losing five starters following the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Johnson will be key to putting pressure on Texas Pitchers as she racked up 19 home runs, 65 RBIs and 48 runs in her three years at Washington. Another heavy-hitter on offense, Barbara, will be essential to breaking the score open. With 45 home runs, 100 runs and 179 hits at San Diego State, Mac will be undeniably the most anticipated hitter in this matchup.
With uncertainty looming in most areas of the Aggies’ game plan, fans have to remember — and trust — Ford’s consistent and constant improvement of the team she inherited in 2023. From a 31-28 record in 2022, to finishing 44-15 last season, Ford has shown that her accolades and resume are not to be underestimated.
With plenty of new faces between transfers and 10 freshmen, the Aggies will look for a completely different outcome against Texas this time around.
Texas A&M infielder Amari Harper (13) throws the ball before Texas A&M’s game against Texas at the Austin Super Regional at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin on May 24, 2024.
CJ Smith — THE BATTALION
Texas A&M fans during the War Hymn before Texas A&M’s game against Texas at the Austin Super Regional at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin on May 24, 2024.
CJ Smith — THE BATTALION
