The Battalion — February 9, 2023

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2023 STUDENT MEDIA

Number one spots to go number two on campus

Aggies sweep Auburn in “mirror” matchup

BATHROOMS ON PAGE 2

BASKETBALL ON PAGE 8

Flies reveal secret to sleep

Regents begins deliberations

By Caroline Wilburn @carolinewilb

Ishika Samant — THE BATTALION

Elizabeth Brown, Ph.D., examines flies under a microscope in a Butler Hall lab on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023.

A&M researchers believe flies may be the key to insomnia treatement, relief

By Jack Lee @JackTheBatt Aggie biologists are joining forces with the University of Pennsylvania to solve the mystery of sleep.

While conventional wisdom suggests eight hours is the universal standard for a good night’s sleep, the optimal amount varies

greatly between individuals for reasons not entirely known. Alex Keene, Ph.D., professor and department head of biology at A&M, said part of the reason why knowledge of the genetics of sleep has been limited is due to the time-consuming nature of conducting sleep experiments.

“You can’t go out there and basically bring every human into the sleep lab,” Keene said. “It’s really time-consuming, right? You have to hook them up and people sleep overnight.”

However, the recent popularity of genetic testing kits such as 23andMe and the success of the UK Biobank, a database started in 2006 that collects information on human

health and genetics, has provided researchers with an unprecedented volume of human genetic information from willing volunteers.

This development enabled Struan Grant, professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, to analyze the human genome and produce a list of one hundred genes that are potentially involved in sleep regulation.

“All the gene hunting that’s gone on for the last couple of decades ha[s] revealed very strong genetic signals in the genome,” Grant said. “We inferred the relationship between the [sleep trait] variants and a gene … we then emailed those genes to Dr. Keene.”

INSOMNIA ON PG. 3

The A&M University System Board of Regents hosted a regular meeting on Feb. 8 that included briefings from System executives regarding recent programs and developments in College Station and among the A&M System.

The meeting included a presentation by Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs James Hallmark on the A&M System’s proposed affordability initiatives which was followed by a period of discussion regarding the next steps and direction of the initiatives. No board action was taken and former members of the board were in attendance as special guests.

The board will reconvene at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 9 for a regular meeting in the Memorial Student Center Bethancourt Ballroom. The meeting’s agenda includes a recess for an executive session with System attorneys regarding legal issues relating to Lowry v. Texas A&M and the development of the Fort Worth campus. The executive session also contains deliberations regarding the authorization for two separate dispositions of 364.08 acres of land and 450.97 acres of land in San Saba County.

Beginning at 1 p.m., an open session will be followed by a presentation by the Committee on Buildings and Physical Plant regarding items 3.1-3.8 listed on the agenda. The Committee of Audits will provide a “Monthly Audit Report and Audit Tracking” by Charlie Hrncir, a “FY 2022 External Audit Report”

by Robin Woods and other business, including the approval of minutes. The Committee on Finance will provide a “Financial Status Update” by Billy Hamilton.

The board will meet again at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 9 for a special workshop meeting with briefings from System executives and a discussion over agenda items. The agenda includes an update on the RELLIS campus, a report on Brazos County facilities maintenance services and dining services at A&M, an A&M new student programs report and an update on the 88th session of the Texas Legislature.

No board action will be taken at the meeting.

All meetings will be livestreamed on the Board of Regents website and uploaded next week and uploaded to the livestream meeting archive. Meeting dates, materials and minutes can also be found on the website.

ROTC from across the sea

Ishika Samant — THE BATTALION

Juniors Joseph Yoo, HoYoon Jung, Jisu Lee, Yuri Kim and Yeji Choi make hearts with their fingers in The Battalion office on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023.

Corps of Cadets hosts Korean cadets for exchange program

By Jack Lee @JackTheBatt As part of a tradition starting in 2014, the Corps of Cadets is currently hosting 44 South Korean ROTC cadets.

The cadets, men and women from several different universities across Korea, will be in Aggieland for a month to undergo a series of ROTC classes, leadership courses and physical training. In addition, they will get the chance to immerse themselves in Texas

culture during their stay. Just like American ROTC cadets, the Korean cadets will commission as second lieutenants in the Korean military upon graduation.

The cadets made the trip primarily in the interest of learning about American customs, Dongguk University computer science junior Joseph Yoo said.

“It’s about cultural exchange,” Yoo said.

“We don’t get any class credits, but we get cultural exchange. We’re going to train with the A&M cadets. That’s what the whole idea is about.”

While Korea and the United States share some similarities, Hanbat University public administration junior Jisu Lee said there were also many differences in the cultures of the two nations.

“The most surprising thing was that men

and women live in the same dorm … Many cultural [norms are] different from Korea,” Lee said. “We also don’t have any Panda Express [in Korea].”

Comparing the American ROTC and the Korean ROTC, Yoo said while the Korean cadets had yet to participate in military training at A&M, he said both put cadets through similarly strenuous exercises.

“We didn’t get any military training yet right now in A&M, but we did back in Korea,” Yoo said. “I would say, I think both have very [difficult] courses.”

The biggest takeaway for the cadets is the opportunity to engage with native English speakers, Yoo said.

“We don’t really have much of an opportunity to talk with you guys, like the English users,” Yoo said. “We don’t really have many

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English users back in our country. So I think that’s a great opportunity to talk with them and kind of enhance my English skills, getting exposed to the language. I think that’s a great thing that I will get after this whole program.”

Hallym University Russian literature junior Ho Yoon Jung said the cuisine was one of the highlights of his trip.

“Everything’s so good,” Jung said. “I love the food.”

Overall, Kyung Hee University social welfare junior Yeji Choi and Dankook University physical education junior Yuri Kim said they were enjoying their time at A&M. “I love it,” Choi said.

“Personally, it is all good,” Kim said. “Perfect.”

COLUMN

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The Battalion | 2.9.23

Game of thrones Graphic by Megan Williams & Pranay Dhoopar Graphic by Cameron Johnson

Life & Arts writer ranks top lavatory locations on campus

By John Chapa @JDChapaBatt Before Aggies walk across the stage and eagerly receive their diploma, they will spend time reaching for toilet paper in the various restrooms across campus.

Some of these restrooms are worth your time. Others … not so much.

I believe it is my duty as a student who has frequented various restrooms across campus to grade these restrooms accordingly. We pay a large sum of money to attend Texas A&M and allocate a vast amount of time on campus. We deserve to know which restrooms on campus are most worth visiting.

I’ll grade A&M’s public restrooms based on their cleanliness, accessibility and traffic. There are three points to address. One, I will grade public restrooms, not family/all-gender restrooms.

It should go without saying that most, if not all of these restrooms, would grade superior to public restrooms on campus.

Two, I will grade the most commonly used restrooms among all Aggies, current students and former students alike. This means no specific department buildings, dormitories or dining halls. Three, this list pertains to only men’s restrooms.

Sorry ladies.

Memorial Student Center (MSC) Restrooms 4/5 Built and dedicated on Aggie Muster day over 70 years ago, the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, honors the Aggies who died in previous wars. The building also offers a wide variety in the quality of restrooms.

For example, the restroom on the main level nearest the ramp to the food court is messy and claustrophobic.

Students abuse this restroom the most, resulting in waits for an available toilet, empty soap dispensers and trash cans filled to the brim with paper towels. I’m not a fan of an elongated restroom sink if it’s conjoined at the corners to form an L-shape, especially if such a construction choice is small and results in the bumping of elbows and the awkward reach across the sink for soap.

Fortunately, there is another option on the MSC’s main level that provides restroom-goers with a far better experience. Located near the building’s printers and hall closest to Kyle Field, this restroom holds 10 stalls and has two adjacent doors to separate people from entering and exiting. The latter factor alone improves foot traffic and accessibility.

If you plan on doing your business in the MSC, consider traversing to the lower level or the second level, specifically the west wing restroom. The climb is worth it considering this restroom is clean, has well-spaced sinks and is almost always empty. This restroom truly serves as a peaceful escape.

Rudder Tower 3/5 Rudder Tower is a unique building on campus that holds the MSC Box office, conference space, Rudder Theatre, Rudder Auditorium, the University Club and some inconvenient bathrooms.

The restrooms on floors 3-10 feel cramped due to their low ceilings and

dim lighting. They’re often not clean due to their constant abuse by students hosting meetings and conferences throughout the day.

The restrooms outside Rudder Theatre and Rudder Auditorium are better since they are clean and contain more stalls, but there is still little space between the sinks and the stalls. Also, you must beware of nights when hundreds of patrons flood the lobbies and bathrooms before, during and after a performance. With restrooms only on the first and third floor outside the auditorium, lines for the restroom can extend into the lobby.

Go to Rudder for the tours, the history and the performances, but not if you need to use the restroom in a hurry.

Evans Library 3/5 The first two floors tend to be pretty busy. This is true of both study space and restroom use. The restroom experience improves when you climb beyond the second floor, where the restrooms are cleaner, more convenient and more private. A downside of the restrooms on the third and fourth floors nearest the elevators are the lengthy, narrow halls leading to the stalls and sinks. The tight stretch makes the restroom not so accessibility-friendly. One benefactor is the hands-free door opener to use after freshly washing your hands. The good doesn’t make up for the restrooms’ most fatal flaw.

Evans Library was constructed well before the Americans Disabilities Act was signed into law. Unfortunately, I think this shows in the little renovation the building’s restrooms have received and the little-to-no accessibility offered in its restrooms.

Best of the Best: Innovative Learning Classroom Building (ILCB) 5/5 This should come as no surprise. One of the most newly constructed buildings on campus, the ILCB provides students with everything they could ever ask for in a public restroom. The restrooms are all located conveniently close to the elevator and stairs. The building’s architect had accessibility in mind when constructing the architectural feat that is the ILCB. Pristine and absolutely spotless, students can enjoy using this gargantuan, clean restroom without bumping into another person zipping their fly or waiting for a stall on even the busiest of school days. I have never had a bad experience using this restroom and neither will you.

Honorable Mention: Medical Sciences Library 5/5 If you ever have the opportunity of using the restrooms on the first floor of the medical sciences library on west campus, do so. These restrooms are clean, receive little foot traffic and provide you the option of drying your hands with paper towels or a Dyson HUO2 air blade V2. This building is a little out of the way for most folks, so only use this restroom if it’s convenient for you.

Honorable Mention: Academic Building 5/5 If you know, you know. Former students and current students have kept this location secret to reduce foot traffic and keep the restroom with a view of campus to themselves. I respect the hustle, but Aggies help Aggies. Go to the third floor and enjoy a scenic view of campus under utmost privacy.

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Editor’s Note: The pseduonym “Bettye” is used in this column to allow students to write candidly about topics of relationships and sex without backlash.

Meet Bettye When it comes to the life of college students, many factors contribute to their college experience. Academia, partying, independence and human relations are but a handful of these factors, but in this special column of The Battalion, relationships are at the forefront. Although seemingly insignificant, relationships with partners, friends and the self are important in terms of building character during this part of adulthood. See this column not only as an advice column for your relationship needs, but a voice that shares the same experiences as you.

Bettye, on breakups Valentine’s Day is coming up and you just broke up with your most recent partner. You are not just going to post pictures of you crying with cryptic captions like ‘if you know, you know’ and “no one hit me up.” No. You are in college now. You are an adult.

Time to act like it.

Now, they keep “drunk texting” you about how they have the craziest, most romantic plans for Feb. 14 and how they are so happy your relationship is over. It boils your blood. The person who thought your orange tabby was going to grow into a Bengal tiger has a date for Valentine’s. They already found another Aggie with standards as low as yours.

But you want to try something new: You want to be the bigger person. What does that even mean? It means you do what is right and act mature, something that the other person might not be willing to. Well, what is the point? The point is to stop letting a random ghost from your past have any influence over your life. Being the bigger person means you rise above your ex’s childish behavior and focus on bettering the quality of your life.

Now, here is how you do it. First, do not text them back unless it involves semantics about where (the garbage bin outside) to pick

up the stuff they left at your place. You have no reason to spend your time and energy having a conversation with somebody you are cutting ties with.

For this tip, you might be wondering: What if I want to be friends with my ex?

Well, that depends on the kind of people you both are and how your relationship ended.

You might be too unforgettable for them to be okay having a platonic relationship.

Maybe they cheated on you and you do not have room for a dirty coward in your life.

But what if things ended amicably (if that exists)? Regardless, you need time off from each other to make the transition from lovers to pals. Take a beat for a few months and refrain from communicating. They really do not need to know your roommate brought a campus squirrel home.

Do not forbid your mutual friends from seeing them. Do not be that person. If your little sister has a Minecraft world with your ex, do not make her burn it. Just because you are setting boundaries does not mean everyone around you has to as well.

Another aspect of being the bigger person is being respectful in every setting. Your ex may be telling anyone who will listen that you passed out drunk on a sidewalk, however; you should not tell people he did not learn how to operate the communal laundry machines until he was qualified to get his Aggie Ring. It is so easy to set the record straight and let friends, mutual and otherwise, know that your ex is so much more incompetent than anyone notices. But being the bigger person means you forgive their petulant behavior. They just lost the best thing that was ever going to happen to them — have some pity.

Being the bigger person is tough — especially when the concept is unheard of by some people (your ex). You’re at Texas A&M. Shed that dead weight. Disassociate on the Aggie Spirit buses. Enjoy life.

The other option is to throw caution to the wind and just key their car. Someone has to teach them a lesson.

Love, Bettye B.

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Look elsewhere. These handcrafted boots weren’t made for walking so much as they were for marching. But for the cadets who wear them around campus, they represent years spent working hard, learning to lead and building friendships that last a lifetime.

It’s always possible to tell when an Aggie just got their senior boots—no one stands taller.

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CRITICISM

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The Battalion | 2.9.23

INSOMNIA CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Prior research has shown many sleep mechanisms are shared among all animals, suggesting the genes that play a role in their functions are also shared between species. With the Penn researchers having made a list of candidate genes, Keene said the A&M lab could now zero in on which gene played the biggest role in sleep regulation.

“We at Texas A&M got that list of genes [from Penn],” Keene said. “We went and we knocked them down one at a time in fruit flies.

Then we can screen [them] and see which ones regulate sleep.”

For an organism that could serve as a model for humans, the A&M lab decided on fruit flies. Justin Palermo, a biology Ph.D. student, said fruit flies were used because sleep mechanisms are shared between them and humans.

“For us, it’s very important that we show that they actually sleep, and it’s been accepted that they sleep in the same way humans do for the last 20 years,” Palermo said. “We were able to identify genes that were conserved from flies to humans and also affect the same behavior.”

Elizabeth Brown, Ph.D., a research scientist in the biology department, said the team used a genetic editing technique known as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, or CRISPR, to silence certain genes in select fruit flies and compare their sleeping patterns to fruit flies with normal genes. The team collects data by holding the flies in an enclosure that automatically records their sleep durations and movements. “[We have an] incubator full of flies where we’re recording sleep,” Brown said. “We’ve got this computer connected, and it measures

Smith embraces self-love “Gloria” Capitol Records Release Date: Jan. 27, 2023

6/10

By Emma Ehle @EmmaKEhle4 Sam Smith’s “Gloria” is a heartfelt cry of sexual liberation and newfound self-confidence.

Released on Friday, Jan. 27, “Gloria” (2023) is the British singer-songwriter’s fourth studio album, following their 2020 release, “Love Goes.” The album, which includes features from artists like Jessie Reyez, Kim Petras, Koffee and Ed Sheeran, interestingly showcases Smith’s experimentation with genre, maintaining a fairly cohesive theme across the majority of the tracks.

Intense, insightful series “Ginny & Georgia”

9/10

Creator: Sarah Lampert Season Two Release Date: Jan. 5, 2023

By Sydnei Miles @Sydnei_M04

sleep or it measures activity every minute of every day.”

The team zeroed in on a gene called Pig-Q, Brown said. The team found that fruit flies with a suppressed Pig-Q gene slept more than fruit flies with a normal Pig-Q gene, but had the same level of physical movement while awake.

“When we silence Pig-Q, we can look at the effects on sleep,” Brown said. “They sleep more, but they have the same measurements of activity.”

While the team has, as of yet, only experimented with suppressing the Pig-Q gene, Keene theorizes another mutation might cause the fruit flies to need less sleep instead.

“When … you knock [the Pig-Q gene] out, [the fruit flies] sleep more,” Keene said.

“So you can imagine at higher levels, they would sleep less. Sleep is kind of bi-directional, and a lot of these genes can impact sleep in both ways.”

Once the link between sleep and Pig-Q had been established among fruit flies, the experiment went back to Philadelphia, where Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researcher Amber Zimmerman, Ph.D., conducted an experiment that found a link also existed among zebrafish. The gene’s function being shared between flies and fish suggests humans are likely to possess it as well, Zimmerman said. “[Pig-Q led to longer] sleep in both the flies and the fish, so it was conserved in both invertebrates and vertebrates,” Zimmerman said. “That suggests that it’s … a very strong candidate for moving back to human studies and trying to determine its regulatory role in controlling sleep.”

Keene said the next step for the experiment is to analyze the genetic databases prepared by

the Penn researchers to find humans with similar mutations in the Pig-Q gene and study their sleep patterns.

“The beauty of it is you get a list [of sleep-causing genes] from humans, and then you target them in fruit flies,” Keene said.

“Then you can circle back to humans. There are humans out there with rare variants in these genes, and then you can go out and if you can find them, you can bring them into the sleep lab and measure their sleep.”

Sleep deprivation, Keene said, is alarmingly prevalent and has been conclusively proven to have a myriad of negative effects on human health. Keene said he hopes this research and other developments in the understanding of sleep can contribute to broad improvements in society’s health outcomes.

“A third of people suffer from some form of

insomnia … Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, heart disease, diabetes is a big one, obesity and all of these are associated with lack of sleep,” Keene said. “It’s pretty clear that if we can get people to sleep better, we can cure a lot of these sleep-associated disorders.”

Beyond sleep, Keene said the breakthrough demonstrates the power of collaboration in science.

“What I’m most excited about is just the power of collaborative science,” Keene said.

“We never would have been able to mine human genetic databases and pull out the genes and come up with this paper on our own. I think just by developing these collaborations, we can really advance science in a way that we couldn’t otherwise.”

In its stronger moments, “Gloria” produces catchy and thematically complex commentary on sexuality, self-love and general vulnerability, emphasizing Smith’s vision for the project as a work of long-awaited personal freedom.

Its weak moments, however, display fairly simplistic songwriting and generic sounds, unfortunately indicating that not all of this album is up to par with the complex concepts and larger-than-life essence that it is based upon.

Personally, I see tracks “Lose You,” “No God” and “I’m Not Here To Make Friends” as the album’s triumphs. “Lose You,” which acts as a perfect heartbreak dance-pop anthem, strongly illustrates pain and desperation while simultaneously showcasing a strong beat that would be enjoyable in any club scene. “No God” delves into the subject of god-complexes while demonstrating a strong production, and “I’m Not Here To Make Friends” utilizes a catchy hook and RuPaul sample to create an impressive and on-theme track.

The album’s interludes, which include “Hurting Interlude” and “Dorothy’s Inter-

lude” are also impactful elements of “Gloria,” offering nuanced references to queerness through samples of Sylvia Rivera, Judy Garland and Divine, while also incorporating historical events such as the Stonewall riots and New York’s first gay-pride parade.

“Gloria’s” weaker moments manifest themselves in the form of “How To Cry,” “Perfect” feat. Jessie Reyez, “Gimme” feat.

Koffee & Jessie Reyez and the all too familiar “Unholy” feat. Kim Petras.

“How To Cry” utilizes several instances of simplistic and undeveloped songwriting such as “I don’t know when you’re sad, I can’t tell when you’re mad,” to attack a topic that requires more depth than basic rhyme schemes.

Similar issues occur with “Perfect,” — which is also rather repetitive — and “Who We Love,” which features lyrics that almost feel too simple for the emotionally dense topic it is discussing. “Gimme,” while catchy at times, is also repetitive and will most likely be a polarizing track in terms of those who enjoy it and those who do not.

Lastly, the infamous “Unholy” feat. Kim Petras doesn’t really feel like it belongs on this album. While it has its share of accolades, including the title of Best Pop Duo/Group Performance from this year’s Grammys, it sticks out amongst the rest of “Gloria” in a jarring manner. It also unfortunately fell victim to the trap of Tik Tok trends, resulting in a song that was painfully overplayed before “Gloria” was even released. Despite this, Smith and Petras’ “Unholy” does merit its well deserved attention as the track that made the duo the first openly-transgender and non-binary artists to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Petras the first openly transgender woman to receive a Grammy.

“Gloria,” while containing its weak points, is an overall enjoyable and thematically powerful fourth studio album. In what appears to be Smith’s most introspective and soul-bearing work yet, “Gloria” not only offers an incredible liberation for the singer, but may also set the tone for many of their future projects.

After almost a year of lying in wait, Sarah Lampert delivered the second season of her hit show, “Ginny & Georgia,” starring Brianne Howey as mother, Georgia Miller, and Antonia Gentry as daughter, Virginia Miller, also known as Ginny. The second season is currently ranked No. 1 on Netflix among TV shows.

The end of season one left viewers wondering where Ginny and younger brother Austin were headed next. Ginny and Georgia may appear as the perfect mother-daughter duo, but newly revealed secrets of Georgia’s murderous past drives Ginny to go ghost. As the first episode of season two opens, the clear opposition between the two grows and their relationship takes an almost irreversible turn.

While Ginny wrestles with the reality of her mother’s criminal history, she grows closer with her dad, Zion Miller, who attempts to better her mental health through therapy, and also introduces her to poetry, helping her better express and navigate life and her identity as a biracial woman.

The discussion of Ginny’s race is seldom had. In season one, Ginny is referred to as being “too Black for the white kids, but too white for the Black kids.” Season two dives deeper into the topic of Ginny’s race, as she grows more confident in her identity.

After falling in love with Marcus, her best

friend’s brother, Ginny is estranged from her friends Max, Abby and Nora, leaving her to grow closer to Bracia, an acquaintance from the first season. Since Bracia is a black female, and able to relate to Ginny’s struggles in a way, time with her opens Ginny’s eyes to know more about who she is. She becomes more bold in calling out the microaggressions of her friends and mom. During episode five, at Joe’s Open Mic Night, Ginny performs a poem on how her mom walks a different life than she’s able to. Her walk through life as a biracial woman is anything but simple. As a white woman, Georgia never acknowledged their differences until she decided to join in on a therapy session with Ginny, showing her that Ginny’s life will never be synonymous with hers.

The awareness of Ginny’s race results in her feeling a lack of belonging. Growing up without the Black side of her family, Ginny was never capable of fully learning her identity. Through the fictional story of “Ginny & Georgia,” viewers get to see first-hand the struggles and reality of biracial children, feeling as though they’re incapable of fitting into one single category.

Through Ginny’s past of self-harm and Marcus’ severe depression, mental health is a prevalent theme confronted in season two.

After a long time of harming herself, Ginny is

put into therapy by Zion, hoping to relieve the frequency of her self-harm and improve her mental health. Marcus’ debilitating depression and lack of ability to do simple tasks show the unfortunate reality of many young adults and teens. The prioritization of mental health is essential to proving the importance of self-maintenance.

Saturated with drama, “Ginny & Georgia” is an intense but insightful series that provides an inside look at real-life struggles for many.

Not only those who struggle with mental health, but also individuals who struggle with topics of race and identity. This has become a fairly new staple to films with iconic mother-daughter duos. However, this one contains twists and turns, with viewers not knowing what to expect next.

And for those who insist on comparing “Gilmore Girls” and “Ginny & Georgia,” don’t, because comparing the two is an injustice toward them both. Though both shows are built upon the same storyline of a mother who had her daughter as a teenager, the “Gilmore Girls” series remains more lighthearted while “Ginny & Georgia” presents heavier topics, setting a different tone and slightly conveying to a different type of audience. The plot of both is created to portray two different tones towards the audience, making it unfair to compare the two.

Ishika Samant — THE BATTALION

Elizabeth Brown, Ph.D., shows the fly-containing sleep chambers in Butler Hall.

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OPINION

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The Battalion | 2.9.23

Graphic courtesy of Susan Murtaugh

Opinion: Gay candy or child slavery?

Opinion writer Lilia Elizondo discusses woke M&M’s child labor and corporate responsibility

Lilia Elizondo @LiliaElizondo5

“No man is rich unless he enriches others,” wrote railroad titan Andrew Carnegie in “The Gospel of Wealth.”

Essentially, corporations, companies and “the rich’’ owe it to society to tend to their material needs — to bear the burden of responsibility — The Corporate Social Responsibility.

Never did I fathom in my 20 years of existence that I would mention Corporate Social Responsibility in the same breath as an “obese and distinctively frumpy lesbian” purple M&M. Yet here we are.

On Jan. 23, M&M’s announced their famous spokescandies would be “indefinitely paused” and replaced with Maya Rudolph due to controversy surrounding their character lore.

Yes, character lore.

Apparently, the M&Ms have quite rich private lives, even rivaling (hopefully not) our own. Although they aren’t real, these inner lives have been marred in controversy, beginning with the green M&M. In 2021, the green M&M had an outfit change, shocking indeed. She went from having hot heels to sensible sneakers to indicate she wouldn’t be sexualized. Apparently, a change had to occur for someone not to be enticed by her feminine wiles.

Oh, and she came out as a lesbian too, going steady with the brown M&M and letting the world know about their relationship via M&M’s official Twitter account.

The responses were just as … interesting.

While “opportunistic evil bitch” and somebody “you can’t get a drink with” did not come to mind while thinking about the changes to the green M&M, apparently the news thought otherwise.

Oh, and Orange is mentally ill and proud of it, Blue used to be romantically involved with Green, Red is secretly in love withYellow who is his best friend and he is also secretly gay, and

facing!

Since the early 2000s, Mars, Nestle and Hershey have been under intense scrutiny from both the government and the general public for their disgusting use of child labor. In fact, twothirds of their cocoa is produced in West Africa, where 2 million children, ranging from 10 to 11 years old, have been reported to be farming the cocoa — an intense and rigorous process.

While Mars vowed to end child labor by 2005, M&M’s still cannot guarantee that all of their cocoa is not produced using child labor.

What is made as a joke on the internet and throughout American politics is, in reality, a tragedy. We as a society are not holding our corporations to their social responsibility and the M&M’S company is not fulfilling their obligation.

Instead, we have a company pandering to one-dimensional identity politics and using outrage and controversy to market its product even more.

As a matter of fact, many are beginning to speculate that with the Super Bowl around the corner, M&M’s might be using this entire situation to gain publicity for the event itself.

Although corporations are no strangers to committing less than Christ-like behavior, more than ever now we see a trend in corporations changing mascots or slapping rainbows to satisfy the public and mask their dubious motives.

And what’s worse is that people are either defending this behavior and foaming at the mouth for the apparent “progress” or throwing tantrums talking about how “sensitive” everyone is.

America is so obsessed with fighting a political war over the most trivial controversies in an attempt to masquerade as moral warriors rather than seriously reflecting on how we can solve genuine issues regarding our corporations and who they affect.

You are not “woke” for wanting a nonbinary candy, and you are not “red-pilled” for getting upset over non-binary candy.

You are a moron.

While we can all continue ridiculing the M&M’s, we should use their stupidity to pay attention to what our corporations can do to fulfill their moral obligations rather than fight over who is more “based.”

Although corporate capitalism is greatly flawed, concepts such as Corporate Social Responsibility give us consumers the power to voice our opinions and help others.

When M&M’s released their statement regarding the controversy, they were right about one thing: their jester humor. They are clowns masquerading as the “rich who enriches,” and we are clowns feeding into the circus of madness.

basically, just a lot of them are gay now.

Some people on Twitter were ecstatic with these changes, congratulating the candy on coming out, while others were furious about the candy coming out.

M&M addressed the controversy by letting the public know they now have “an updated tone of voice that is more inclusive, welcoming, and unifying, while remaining rooted in our signature jester wit and humor.”

And just as the dust settled, we got a plus size, possibly non-binary, possibly transgender, possibly lesbian purple candy, which leads us to now.

The end? No. The attempts at progressive moral representation and the reactions to this attempt are both incredibly pathetic.

In case people forgot, there are more important problems in the world than “inclusive” chocolate.

What you may be asking? Oh, I don’t know …

Lilia Elizondo is an English senior and opinion Maybe the child slavery accusations that writer for The Battalion.

Mars, the company that owns M&M’s, is

T R E N DY, D E S I G N E R & V I N TA G E

EARN CASH FOR CLOTHES Welcome Aggies!!

2022 2410 Texas Ave S, College Station, TX

OPINION

The Battalion | 2.9.23

5

OPINION

Head-to-head: School choice in Texas Megan Williams — THE BATTALION

The exterior of College Station High School at dusk on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.

Against school choice: ESAs For school choice: Choice will lead to a sinking ship will solve educational flaws Opinion editor Caleb Elizondo argues public schools need all hands on deck Caleb Elizondo @CalebElizondo7

Picture this: You peer over the bow of a ship and look toward the horizon. The sun is bright and its rays shimmer across the water.

“Quick — get off the ship, it’s sinking!”

You quickly turn around to the deck of the ship … wait … is that Gov. Greg Abbott shouting dire warnings as he tries to break through the hull with a hammer?

This is an absurd scenario. It is also the current predicament the Texas public school system finds itself in.

Texas ranks 44 in public K-12 funding per student, not far from dead last. Teachers in the Lone Star State make $7,500 less than their peers in other states on average and their retirement benefits rank 49 in the nation.

Oh, and of course, we can’t forget the fabricated moral panic surrounding “critical race theory” Abbott and other Republicans have cultivated, villainizing teachers, banning books from classrooms and pushing materials like Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” out of curriculum.

In addition, terrible acts of violence like those committed in Uvalde last year have yet again renewed conversations surrounding school safety. In the absence of meaningful actions by state leaders, the onus is on schools to develop more robust safety policies and precautions.

Figures like Abbott have spent their tenure pounding at the public education system with a metaphorical hammer. But fret not! Now that Texas’ leaders have undermined public schools, they’re here to feign surprise at the holes and leaks they’ve made to sell us the solution: School vouchers, specifically Educational Savings Accounts, or ESAs. In short, ESAs would create an account for parents to access for education expenses.

These funds could be spent by attending a public school or put toward private tuition — essentially allowing residents to take money that would go to their public school and funnel it elsewhere.

In other words, jump ship.

“Parents should not be helpless,” Abbott said at a Parents Empowerment Night event in Corpus Christi last week. “[Parents] should be able to choose the education option that is best for their child. The way to do that is with ESAs.” While much of the rhetoric surrounding these policies are couched in a concern for resident’s lack of schooling options, it should be noted that Texas currently provides residents with a variety of educational opportunities. There are, of course, traditional public schools both in and sometimes outside of your district, charter schools, magnet schools, homeschool and, if you have the funds, private schools.

For all intents and purposes, this isn’t a

conversation about “choice,” it’s about subsidizing private schools and services with your tax dollars.

Let’s be clear, doing so is a can of worms.

For one, 60% of private schools in Texas are religiously affiliated — and yes — many of these schools inevitably preach doctrines you don’t agree with. While residents certainly have the right to enroll their child in a religious institution, that doesn’t entitle them to do so on Texans’ dime.

On the other hand, pushing education into the realm of private ownership means providers are incentivized to spend as little as possible on their services. Cheaping out on instructors, materials and curriculum means more money is left in their pockets.

Advocates of voucher programs insist competition between schools will result in innovation and better educational opportunities. But are ESAs and vouchers actually effective at improving educational quality?

The evidence is murky at best.

For example, regarding a Milwaukee voucher program professor Joshua Cowen said his study of over 5,000 students found “very little” difference between voucher and public school test scores over five years. Indiana’s ESA program was met with especially bad results, with notable drops in math and reading scores.

But what about Texas? Similar legislation in the Legislative branch was killed in 2017 by … wait, let me consult my notes … Rural Republicans?

“In my district, public school is the community,” Republican State Rep. Gary Vandever said. “If we do anything to pull those students away [from public education], then we’re harming those communities.”

The opposition makes sense when considering rural regions simply don’t have the student population necessary to support one or several private schools — much less profitable ones. The logic of competition breaks down.

Since these communities have relatively few students, even a comparatively small amount of them leaving for surrounding area’s schools or spending their ESA funds on private services like tutors or online resources would strip their local school of much-needed resources — effectively condemning the remaining to an underfunded education.

Frankly, even if you think vouchers or ESAs are a good idea in concept, they simply aren’t a match for a state as rural as Texas in practice. Residents of The Lone Star State deserve quality, conveniently located schools, even if their community isn’t large enough to foster competition between private options.

So, before we jump ship and declare this whole ‘public education’ thing awash, perhaps it’s worth trying to patch the holes, or at the very least, tell Abbott to stop swinging.

Caleb Elizondo is a computer science sophomore and opinion editor for The Battalion.

Assistant opinion editor Ryan Lindner argues choice will break the public school monopoly Ryan Lindner @ryanlindner12

Here’s a scary thought: Imagine if the Texas government operated every grocery store in the state and, using your home address, assigned you to the only one you were allowed to shop at.

Given that the only way to switch stores would be to move to a new district, stores could drive up prices without worrying about losing too many customers. Furthermore, suppose you don’t like your assigned store.

You could file a complaint, but because the government store is largely shielded from market competition, the chance of the complaint being addressed is low.

A state-monopolized Walmart. Sounds crazy, but what if I told you that’s roughly how our public school system works in Texas?

By law, millions of K-12 students throughout the state are locked into poor and dysfunctional government schools with no recourse aside from paying for private school or moving to a new district — an unrealistic option for most. With consistently poor test grades, politically charged classrooms and administrations beholden to special interests such as teacher’s unions, our public education system is not up to the task of equipping the next generation.

So, why does our public school system frequently overpromise and underdeliver? It’s basic economics. Private school is too expensive for most Americans, and the option to switch to a different public school is limited.

The elimination of almost all exit options has resulted in a de-facto state-enforced monopoly that can and will bump up prices without increasing the quality of services.

This year, legislators can empower families to choose what education method works best for them without constraining them to an arbitrary zip code.

School choice legislation, as seen in states such as Arizona, Utah, Iowa and many others, supports families with public education funds to pursue the education method of their choice. Whether that be a private, charter, home or public school, the imperative is the student decides, not the state. Instead of funding the one-size-fits-all public school system, it funds the students to make their own decisions.

Due to its suffocating grip on the market, the public school system has few methods to encourage schools to innovate and offer better products. School choice radically alters the incentives by introducing competition. If a school doesn’t perform well, students are equipped to go elsewhere. No longer can a public school fail its students and not suffer any consequences.

Aside from the underlying logic of school choice, the data backs it up. From 17 stud-

ies conducted over the last twenty years, 11 found a positive effect between school choice and improved test scores. Four studies showed no impact, and only three showed a negative influence. Moreover, school choice can benefit the students that stay in public schools.

Out of 28 studies, 25 show that school choice improves the test grades of students who remain in public schools.

The leading critics of school choice claim it steals money from public schools. However, this argument is a silent admission that families aren’t satisfied with their assigned government schools. It would be akin to Walmart claiming the new HEB down the road is stealing their profits. An honest company should welcome the competition out of confidence in its product.

I grew up in the public school system. I saw the dysfunction firsthand. The problems are systemic and go much deeper than mere fiscal policy. If funding was the only problem, why do New Mexico public schools perform worse than Arizona and Mississippi despite vastly outspending them? Why has federal school spending tripled since 1970, but student test scores remain stagnate?

Unfortunately, this statistic is only symptomatic of a deeper problem — the education apparatus itself.

From 2000 to 2017, the rate of school administrators and staff hired outpaced the hiring of teachers by a multiple of seven. Teachers are forced to develop their curriculum to fit the desires of upper-level bureaucrats who are far removed from having to actually teach students. Classes are organized to get students to pass a slew of standardized tests instead of fostering genuine intellectual curiosity.

Along with an incomprehensible amount of federal and state education regulations, our public school system is more akin to an inhuman and inflexible administrative state than an institution trusted with educating the next generation.

No wonder more than a million students left the public school system nationwide after the COVID-19 pandemic. Students are voting with their feet, and it isn’t toward government-run schools.

The data is clear. Our public school system has failed on its own terms. Nothing short of an education revolution will be able to right the wrongs of the bureaucratic behemoth charitably called a school system. Our public schools need more accountability and competition. It needs school choice.

Breaking the monopoly of public schools is the first step in ensuring no student is locked in a failing system merely because of their address. If we wouldn’t trust the government to run our grocery stores, why do we let it run our schools?

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

6

The Battalion | 2.9.23

Aggies show promise amid poor season Sahara Jones and sophomore guard Tineya Hylton both came off the bench and quickly lit a spark for A&M. The Aggies’ bench ended up outscoring the Tigers’ reserves 38-7.

The maroon and white’s standout defense, which has been their focal point all year, also contributed with 11 steals to the Tigers’ six and three blocks to their two. All three blocks came from freshman Janiah Barker, and four of the eleven steals came from sophomore forward Jada Malone.

Although the Aggies lost by six, the game was a massive improvement on their 40-point loss to the Tigers earlier in the season. Going against the undefeated third-ranked team in the nation and making it a close game while overcoming a large deficit in the first half gives the A&M faithful some hope.

The Aggies’ 62-54 loss to Florida on Feb. 2 was similar to the score from A&M’s earlier matchup with the Gators. The game was close up until the third quarter when the Aggies let Florida take a 44-34 lead.

A&M proceeded to follow a trend that it has followed over the course of its last five games, which is making the fourth quarter either its most or second-most dominant quarter of the game. The Aggies scored 20 points in the fourth to try to make up for their deficit, and although it wasn’t enough, A&M found a rhythm that followed them into its matchup against LSU.

A&M falls short against No. 3 LSU, but shows promise in offense

By Andrew Paredes @andrewparedesss There now seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel for a Texas A&M women’s basketball team whose season has been riddled by injuries, inconsistent offensive play and a coaching transition that hasn’t immediately produced success with a conference record of 1-10 and an overall record of 6-15.

The Aggies’ offense has been producing over the course of their last few games, and nothing shows this more than when they put up 66 points against No. 3 LSU, a team that has held opponents to an average of 54 points this season, on Feb. 5.

In the first two quarters against the Tigers, the Aggies left much to be desired with shooting splits of 3-of-13 and 7-of-16 and two free throws on three attempts. But the second half was a different story, with A&M shooting 12-of-30 from the field and making 14 of their 17 free throws.

In the second half, the flow of offense changed as the Aggies were able to draw more fouls from the Tigers, while junior guard

This season is a transition for the Aggies, and has shown through their overall and conference records. The offense has been very inconsistent all season, but over the course of the last few games, A&M has shown improvements in almost every aspect of its offense.

In their last four games, the Aggies are averaging 45% from the field and 37% from 3-point range, measurably better than their stats for the entire year. The increase in A&M’s shooting splits can be explained by the offense opening up through assists and an increase in spacing for open shooters to make their shots while also focusing on attacking the rim and drawing fouls.

One could point to a slow start as the reason the Aggies are losing these close games. They become too reliant on the 3-ball and shoot themselves into a deficit that becomes too

difficult to overcome in the second half, even with their recent trend of becoming hot in the final 20 minutes. Their second half scoring has seemingly come from attacking the rim and drawing fouls more often, which also allows them to get better looks from behind the arc.

If A&M can take its offensive performances that it has put on in the second half of their last few games and apply it to the first half of games, then it might find itself in a more comfortable position in close games such as these.

This Aggies’ defense is there, their fight and grit are there, and there is a clear sign that coach Joni Taylor is doing a great job of challenging this team to adapt and work towards its strengths. There is a long road ahead for A&M, but this recent stretch has shown us that there is potential for long term success.

Michaela Rush, Editor-in-Chief Kyle McClenagan, Managing Editor Caroline Wilburn, News Editor Kenzie Finch, News Editor Ana Renfroe, Asst. News Editor Ishika Samant, Photo Chief Jonathan Taffet, Asst. Photo Chief Ruben Hernandez, Life & Arts Editor Emma Lawson, Asst. L&A Editor Megan Williams, Page Designer

Emma Moser, Business Manager Dan Hung, Business Manager Caleb Elizondo, Opinion Editor Ryan Lindner, Asst. Opinion Editor Zoe May, Sports Editor Grant Gaspard, Sports Editor Luke White, Asst. Sports Editor Skylar Cheek, Social Media Editor Evelyn Peterson, Page Designer

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Sophomore F Jada Malone (13) looks for an open shot against LSU F LaDazhia Williams during Texas A&M’s game against LSU at Reed Areana on Sunday, Feb. 05, 2023.

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The Battalion | 2.9.23

Graduate G Dexter Dennis (0) celebrates after scoring during Texas A&M’s game against Auburn at Reed Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2022.

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Reed rocks as Aggies climb SEC standings A&M has discovered a home-court advantage in Aggieland

By Luke White @lukewhite03 Ask any sports marketing specialist what tactics can be taken to increase attendance at athletic events, and you may get the same typical responses: Giveaways, ticket discounts, free parking and a reward system are tried and true strategies. But anyone can tell you that there’s one simple action that trumps these.

Winning.

The evidence of this is well-documented in the realm of college basketball, as perennial powers such as Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina routinely lead the nation in attendance totals. Despite the relatively small size of their arenas, Duke and Houston continually fill their homes to the brim.

The Texas A&M men’s basketball team has experienced this effect firsthand in 2023.

As the Aggies sit at second-place in the SEC standings after an 83-78 win over Auburn on Tuesday, Feb. 7, each of their four games at Reed Arena this semester has recorded an attendance of over 10,200 rowdy fans. Three of these had crowds of over 12,100. The 12,989-seat facility hasn’t drawn crowds of

over 12,000 in three straight home contests since 2016, or in four consecutive conference games since 2010.

Since students returned for the spring term in mid-January, the 12th Man has shown up in full force, averaging 11,915 supporters across the four contests. A&M also took on LSU and Missouri in College Station during the winter break, attracting crowds of 9,319 and 6,916, respectively.

Over the season as a whole, an average of 8,552 fans per game have flocked to the Aggies’ friendly confines. This marks an improvement over last season when A&M garnered a crowd of 6,713 per home contest.

That campaign saw the 12th Man set the Reed Arena attendance record, as 14,036 flooded through the doors on Jan. 19, 2022, when the Aggies dropped a 64-58 decision to Kentucky.

Such a sight was a rarity during the 202122 season, as the loss to the Wildcats was the only instance in which A&M amassed an attendance of over 10,000 fans. A half-empty, low-energy arena seemed to be the norm, perhaps making the abundance of fan support this time around so special. A year ago, as the team found itself amid an 8-game losing streak in SEC play, one never would have expected lines forming outside of the facility an hour and a half before doors open, sprints to claim a first-row seat and a rowdy environment from start to finish to be the standard.

This can almost certainly be credited to the Aggies’ best start to conference play in program history, with a 9-2 mark. At 17-7 overall, A&M has turned a corner after a disappointing non-conference slate in which they dropped matchups with Murray State, Colorado and Wofford. Now, the Aggies are rolling as they push for the ever-elusive NCAA Tournament berth.

The “Reed Rowdies” have made their presence felt as the Aggies take the court this year, creating one of the top environments in the SEC. Chants of “Brick,” “You” and “AAAAA” echo through the stands as students crank up the energy, looking to create a homecourt advantage for A&M. While fans erupt with excitement and celebration after every 3-pointer, rocking dunk or defensive stand, the players themselves have taken notice.

“I think having a crowd like that at home benefits us more than the away team,” graduate guard Dexter Dennis said after a 5452 win over Florida on Jan. 18. “It can be a little intimidating if you’re on the other team.

I was a little shocked … I didn’t know we did it like that, because there were a lot of people way up top. That was really impressive to see.”

The jump in attendance and lively environment isn’t just for show, either. Crowd noise, yells and other sorts of distractions can have a direct impact on the outcome of the

Aggies’ matchups, as evidenced by gutsy home victories over the Gators, Vanderbilt and Auburn. While fans’ heart rates and blood pressure have been tested, it’s what has made pulling out a win so much sweeter.

“I think between the community and the students, it completely changes the ambiance of the arena,” Williams said after a 72-66 win over the Commodores on Jan. 28. “I would say as emotionally drained our team played, without the environment and the arena tonight, the result would have been different.

We are incredibly grateful for the result, but we are also aware of how it transpired. I think the students in the end zones an hour before the game, all the season ticket holders and all of those buying single tickets … We are grateful. It for sure helps us. I think their energy affected our group, particularly in the second half.”

With a 12-1 record, the Aggies have been nearly perfect at Reed Arena this season, save for a puzzling 67-62 upset loss to the Terriers on Dec. 20, 2022. A&M will look to continue its momentum and NCAA Tournament push with three more games in Aggieland on the slate. Still, the road won’t be easy, with matchups against upstart Arkansas, No. 6 Tennessee and No. 3 Alabama on the horizon.

But despite the level of the opponent, the message to fans will remain the same.

Get to Reed.

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A&M completes sweep of Auburn Aggies now second in SEC standings following Tuesday home matchup

By Grant Gaspard @Grant_Gaspard In a gym with no dogs, the 12th Man witnessed one of the biggest dogfights of the season.

In its last three home games, Reed Arena has averaged an attendance of 12,741. What sounded like a packed house was about 2,000 fans less than the average. With that, the streak of three straight home games with over 12,000 fans came to an end.

Fortunately, one streak lived on tonight for the Aggies.

On Wednesday, Jan. 25, Texas A&M traveled to Neville Arena and traveled back victorious with a 7963 win under its belt as it snapped Auburn’s 28-game home win streak.

On Feb. 7, the Tigers had a chance to end the Aggies’ current 7-game home win streak to an end.

This resulted in a failure for the blue and orange.

Despite multiple runs by Auburn, A&M escaped with an 83-78 victory for the second straight time this season. This would bring the two’s all-time series record to 15-6 and A&M’s conference record to 9-2 for the season.

The Aggies started their second “mirror” game from behind as junior guard Wendell Green Jr. drove in and completed an uncontested lay-up for the Tigers and senior guard Allen Flanigan followed with a fastbreak dunk that began at the start of the 3-point line.

A&M followed its first turkey of the game with three consecutive scores as sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV cashed in the first of his four 3-pointers of the night, junior forward Julius Marble followed him with a reverse lay-up and graduate guard Dexter Dennis with a pump fake, pull-up jumper from midrange area to cap off the run.

Following Taylor’s 3-point shot, the Aggies would go on to shoot 0

Robert O’Brien— THE BATTALION

Junior F Julius Marble (34) recovers a rebound during Texas A&M’s game against Auburn at Reed Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2023.

for 6 from behind the arc. That is when the Tigers took advantage of the scoring drought by the home team. A run that was initiated by a layup by sophomore forward Johni Broome would lead to 12 more points and a 12 point lead with six minutes to remain in the first half.

In need of a momentum shift, A&M coach Buzz Williams called a freshman forward to the plate.

This momentum didn’t come from a dunk, a 3-point shot or even a steal. Following a turnover from Taylor, freshman forward Solomon Washington would block a shot that would lead to a scuffle and handful of frustrated Tigers.

Washington, with a 72% free throw percentage from the charity stripe, would be gifted two free throws and sink both. The “5 Star Stoppa” would immediately raise his hands and ignite the 12th Man. “Coach Buzz does a good job of

getting us ready for when our number is called,” Washington said.

From this point until the end of the half, the Aggies had control of the game.

Marble crashed the boards following a missed jump shot and finished with another reverse lay-up.

Taylor would draw an offensive foul from Green and give A&M the ball back with three minutes left in the half down 7 points.

A hop-step finish from Dennis, lay-up from Marble and a crossover pull-up 3-pointer from Taylor would tie the score at 34 and lift the spirits once again inside of Reed Arena.

The crowd cheered and screamed loud enough to hear back in Neville Arena. The noise became too loud for the Tigers to bear as Broome, who was dominant for most of the first half, threw the ball into the stands and returned the ball back to

the Aggies.

At the end of the first half, the Aggies led the Tigers 37-36. Taylor led the Aggies in points and assists with 11 and 4, respectively. Dennis led the maroon and white in rebounds with four defensively and one on the offensive end.

In order to maintain its lead, A&M must strategize a plan to calm Broome and Flanigan; who both had 10 points and split 11 rebounds amongst the two.

One of the two was held to just 2 points in the second half and the other watched the majority of the half on the sideline due to foul trouble.

Marble came out of the locker room with a plan to set the tempo. After a layup off an assist from Taylor, the Michigan State transfer took a charge on the defensive end to return the ball back to the Aggies.

After getting in early foul trou-

ble, A&M found itself replaying the same mistakes it made in the first half.

Auburn would soon go on another 12-2 run to regain the lead and force the Aggies to overcome another deficit.

After Broome acquired his 14th point of the night, junior forward Andersson Garcia stepped on the court with a goal to flip the switch.

The Mississippi State transfer forced two straight fouls on Broome and sent him straight to the bench in foul trouble. “[Andersson Garcia] is ranked the eighth most efficient player in our league,” Williams said. “He’s the only one in the top 40 to come off the bench.”

Two minutes later, Washington would do the same and gift Broome with his fourth personal foul.

Punches were thrown back and forth between the Tigers and Aggies as the second half featured 10 lead changes. Two players in particular, Green and Taylor, traded a combined 18 points in the final seven minutes of the game. “[Green] is such a good player,” Williams said.

However, with 25 seconds to play, Green missed a deep 3-point shot to regain the lead. This resulted in an airball and a quick foul in favor of the Aggies, who sank both free throws along with 22 others for the second half.

A&M had two players finish with over 20 points as Taylor finished with 22 points, seven assists and two steals and Marble with 20 points and seven rebounds. “[Wade] is our leader,” Marble said. “He’s a huge factor in getting us going.”

The Aggies advanced to a 17-7 overall record, 9-2 in conference play and solidifying second place from the Volunteers with seven games left in the regular season.

A&M will travel to Baton Rouge, La., to compete in their third “mirror” game of the season against LSU on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m.

Aggies return to diamond New coach, new players, new season for A&M softball

By Zoe May @MayZoella After nine months away, the seats at Davis Diamond will once again be filled as the Texas A&M women’s softball team returns to the field on Thursday, Feb. 9 for a jam-packed, six-game series to kick off its season. However, some things may be unfamiliar to patrons returning to catch a glimpse of the girls of Davis.

The major difference is the woman leading the charge in the bullpen. After former head coach Jo Evans’ contract was not renewed following the conclusion of the 2022 season and her 26th season in College Station, the Aggies were off to find a new captain for the ship.

They landed on Arizona State head coach Trisha Ford and her 212-89 career record.

The 2022 Pac-12 Coach of the Year has backup with standout returners like senior Star Ferguson in the outfield, juniors Rylen Wiggins and Trinity Cannon, as well as sophomore Koko Wooley in the infield. The circle will also remain fortified with three pitchers returning this season: sophomore Emiley Kennedy, junior Grace Uribe and senior Shaylee Ackerman.

“We’re just getting excited to get going on our season,” Ford said. “We’ve had a lot of preparation. This team has been very excited to get coached hard. Excited to get pressed

and be uncomfortable. I really commend that ability to take us in. So I think we’re going to surprise some people.”

Following a short run in its postseason in 2022 with a 1-4 loss against then-No. 12 Florida in the second round of the SEC Tournament and a 20-0 loss in the NCAA Norman Regional against then-No. 1 Oklahoma to finish the season, A&M returns to play with its first match against Tarleton State on Feb. 9 at 4 p.m.

The Texans have high hopes for their season after their 2022 season where they became the first Tarleton Athletics program to put a mark in the win column during the postseason. This season, the program boasts a sixthplace projected finish by the WAC Preseason Coach’s Poll. The Aggies will play the Texans twice in the weekend-long series with the second matchup scheduled for Friday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. The game will serve as a potential revenge match or double-down for A&M depending on the results of Game 1.

In between the double-header with Tarleton, the Aggies will face Northern Kentucky on Feb. 10, at 5 p.m. The Norse will have a new assistant coach in Ashley Obrest, a former assistant coach at Boston University. The two teams have no history of playing against one another, so both will be looking to use the contest to make a statement of skill.

After the three matches to start the weekend, A&M picks up the bat again on Saturday, Feb. 11, against Michigan State. Like the Aggies, the Spartans have also spent the offseason preparing a coaching staff. Michigan State’s head coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley com-

Robert O’Brien— THE BATTALION

Junior Pitcher Grace Uribe (8) winds up for a pitch at Davis Diamond on Friday, April 22, 2022.

pleted her program with assistant coach Nadia Taylor, who is fresh off nine years in National Pro Fastpitch. The Spartans made it to the Big Ten Softball Tournament but were eliminated after the first round, so the green and white will begin their season looking for a different ending.

The Aggies will conclude the weekend with a double-header against their sister school, Texas A&M-Commerce, with the first game on Feb. 11, at 6 p.m., and the second and final game of the series on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m., leaving enough time for Super Bowl Sunday plans. The Lions are another squad

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with no prior history against the maroon and white, leaving a blank slate for both teams to leave their marks.

“We’re gonna play hard, we’re gonna play gritty, we’re gonna punch some people in the mouth,” Ford said of her expectations for the season.

All six games are to take place at Davis Diamond in College Station and can be watched on SEC Network+ on ESPN. Students can still get in using their sports pass, and tickets are on sale for $4-$10 on 12thMan.com.