NEWS
Students pioneer the growth of chickpeas in moondust for NASA’s Artemis mission A4
SPORTS 2025 NFL Draft: Where will Stewart, Scourton and Turner play this coming season? B1
THE AMERICAN COMEBACK
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s speaking tour makes stop at A&M campus
By J.M. Wise News Editor
In lines that began forming an hour before the doors to Rudder Auditorium opened, a sold-out crowd of 2,500 fans, detractors and students awaited one of the most highly-anticipated events on Texas A&M’s campus of the semester: The American Comeback Tour, hosted by Turning Point USA founder and president, conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
A&M was the fifth stop of Kirk’s tour, with four more campuses announced, and its website is promising more to follow.
Kirk announced the tour on Feb. 11 with the goal of pushing “back
against leftwing indoctrination in academia.”
The first speaker was Jobob Taeleifi, a Turning Point USA contributor, who played clips of Texas congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-30) and alleged she was hired due to her race and not through merit.
“I would like to point out my favorite DEI hire,” Taeleifi said. “And that woman is congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. … If my goal is to defend conservative values, any time she gets a microphone, my job gets so much easier.”
cates for conservative policies on high school and college campuses. Kirk was last in Aggieland on Oct. 22, 2019.
“ ... you have a gaping-sized hole in your heart, and something must fill it. And out of the lack of Christianity is where we get woke-ism.”
Charlie Kirk
do in their life, which is the decision of whether or not you [accept] Jesus Christ.” Kirk acknowledged the tumultuous beginning to President Donald Trump’s second term, which has seen a presidential approval rating that has fallen to 45%.
The current presidential approval rating is higher than the start of Trump’s first term, which began at 41%.
parents’ generation — then you have a gaping-sized hole in your heart, and something must fill it. And out of the lack of Christianity is where we get woke-ism.”
While Kirk celebrated Republican wins of the youth vote in Michigan and Texas during his speech, he also acknowledged that his own work is divisive within the conservative movement.
“When you no longer have a bedrock upon agreed moral structure of your society, then people are going to be in moral confusion,” Kirk said. “That is when you start to see widespread transgenderism for our youth, for men in female sports.”
Founder and President of Turning Point USA
Kirk, who emerged onstage wearing a A&M-branded shirt, is the founder of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization that advo-
“I think this is the biggest campus event we’ve ever done in Turning Point’s history,” Kirk said to the crowd. “I want to talk about the most important thing someone can
“If you do not have a religious basis, specifically a Christian one, for your society, something else is going to replace that,” Kirk said.
“When you become less religious — which this generation is, Gen Z is becoming less religious than their
Turning Point USA has faced several controversies, beginning with allegations of racism within the organization in 2017, growing to include influencing student elections via funding, misleading donors and abandoning conservative values for Trump’s ideals.
By Hilani Quinones Senior News Reporter
UNF CK AMERICA
In response to The American Comeback Tour, The Unfuck America Tour arrives in the heart of Aggieland
In response to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s The American Comeback Tour arriving at Texas A&M on Tuesday, two Democratic social media personalities spoke on campus at Rudder Plaza at the same time as part of The Unfuck America Tour.
Primarily led by Dean Withers and Parker Sedgwick, two creators with several million online followers between them, the event began
at 6:30 p.m. and included more than 20 social media influencers.
The overall tour is a “nationwide journey to organize, listen, create, and build power from the ground up,” according to its website.
They launched the event at Aggie Park at 12 p.m. before gathering at Rudder Plaza to debate attendees. Withers, Sedwick and media personality Patrick Jones, who goes by Mr. Jones X online, opened with remarks encouraging the attendees to remain politically involved.
“For the future generation, it is time to pick up the mantle and fight the fight,” Jones said.
Withers said fundamental rights, such as healthcare and civil rights, are being threatened under President Donald Trump.
“If Trump had lost, none of those things would have happened,” Withers said.
Withers and Jones then invited
Trump supporters to debate them, including those who were unable to gain entrance to Kirk’s event at Rudder Auditorium. The duo was later joined by Sedgwick to discuss points of contention, including immigration policies, abortion rights and Trump’s sexual abuse allegations.
Psychology junior Maddy Brook said she was motivated to attend the event because she had been following Dean and Parker for a long time.
“I wanted to see them debate Republicans, and I try to take away from this event as much as possible because some of the things they debate about are things I’m not educated on,” Brook said. “I take their debates, do my own research and fact-check it. It teaches me to learn more and do research.”
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk gestures a “gig ‘em” during The American Comeback Tour at Rudder Auditorium on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
GALLERY: Annual Muster ceremony held in Reed Arena
LIFE & ARTS
Shakuhachi festival celebrates tradition, community
The
Festival brought together performers and students from around the world
By Mollie Blake Life & Arts Writer
In the soft hum of Rudder Forum, ancient tones of bamboo flutes floated through the air as master musicians from around the globe gathered for the 2025 World Shakuhachi Festival. Held from April 17 to April 20 at Texas A&M, the four-day celebration introduced the meditative sound of the Japanese shakuhachi to the Bryan-College Station community through concerts, workshops and cross-cultural conversation.
The shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese end-blown bamboo flute with a history tracing back over a thousand years, has transformed from a tool of Zen monks to a modern instrument embraced by musicians worldwide. One of the festival organizers and longtime practitioner, David Kansuke
Wheeler, said the instrument’s global evolution is part of what makes events like this powerful for attendees.
“Our vision is to share this music and this musical culture with people that never heard of it,”
Wheeler said. “And I truly believe that anyone who comes to one of these concerts will find something in that concert that resonates with their musical awareness in a way that they’ll be like, ‘Wow, that was cool.’”
Wheeler first encountered the shakuhachi in 1977 before eventually moving to Tokyo, where he lived for over two decades. His journey began as an exchange student and later continued as a graduate student on scholarship, solidifying his lifelong path in the world of traditional Japanese music.
“I think all of the arts — and I’m a musician, so I’m partial to music, — stimulate a part of us that helps us find the commonality across the human race,” Wheeler said.
The festival featured daily concerts and workshops open to the public.
Attendees could speak with artists and attend lectures on shakuhachi history, performance technique and
its spiritual roots.
Kuniyoshi Sugawara, a performer at the festival, shared how his deep connection to music began during childhood thanks to his mother, a koto player.
Surrounded by her musical practice, Sugawara’s journey with the shakuhachi began as a natural extension of that type of early exposure.
“As a child, I would wait for my mom to finish her koto lessons before I could eat,” Sugawara said. “I became so familiar with the music that I could tell exactly where they were in the song, even without looking.”
Sugawara described the simplicity of the flute’s five finger holes as a strength that allows for deep emotional expression.
“Because of the simplicity of the instrument, it’s very easy to channel your own feelings, your own emotions through that to an audience,” Sugawara said.
Economics senior Steven Jurk volunteered at the festival and said the event was a refreshing change of pace from daily student life.
“As students, we get so singleminded about our classes and work that we miss these incredible
opportunities,” Jurk said. “This is the first time this has happened in Texas, and to experience something like this so close to home is incredible.”
Martin Regan, a professor in the Music Performance Undergraduate Program and one of the festival’s directors, said the event was deeply aligned with the university’s educational mission, particularly for students studying Japanese language and culture.
“It gives students an experience of authentic engagement with Japanese traditions … beyond textbooks,” Regan said. “Events like this one create lasting impressions and help students see the living culture behind the language they’re learning.”
Though steeped in tradition, artists emphasized how shakuhachi is evolving with global influence.
Sugawara noted how the internet has expanded the instrument’s reach, creating new styles and sounds.
“Now the internet is popular, and it is spreading to the world,” Sugawara said. “Each person uses shakuhachi to express their own music with their own feelings.”
For many, the appeal lies in
that very adaptability: a paradox of simplicity and depth.
“When a musical instrument evolves, it becomes more convenient,” Sugawara said. “Shakuhachi instruments don’t evolve. So, we have no choice but to evolve.”
Alcvin Ryuzen Ramos is a shakuhachi master with a shihan license — a title given to those who have reached a high level of proficiency and are recognized as fully-licensed teachers, only earned under teachers in Japan.
Ramos said he brings a deeply personal and global perspective to his art. Born in Japan and now living in British Columbia, Canada, he embodies the cultural fusion that the instrument has come to represent.
He said the World Shakuhachi Festival is more than a musical gathering: It’s a testament to the instrument’s evolving legacy.
“This kind of festival brings so much to the table,” Ramos said. “It’s not just about hearing new music or watching skilled performers. It’s about experiencing the essence of another culture. Shakuhachi’s not dying. It’s growing, man. Just like bamboo.”
Sharing kindness through DIY crafts
Opportunity for service, community available through Aggie Knitting, Crafting, and More
By Isa Chan Tack Life & Arts Writer
As a student at Texas A&M, it can be challenging to balance schoolwork and a personal life, all while trying to adhere to the Aggie Core Values. But by combining crafting with service, one organization has found an equilibrium.
With a mission to help the people of Bryan-College Station through their craft, social media officer and biomedical engineering sophomore Maggie Orscheln said the students in Aggie Knitting, Crafting, and More, or AKCAM, combine fiber crafts and Selfless Service to aid the community by sharing their creations.
Although the club has a focus on crafts like knitting and crochet, the skills aren’t a requirement to join. AKCAM is always welcoming new members and accepts people of any skill level, even offering to teach those who have little to no experience. The club only requires members to pay dues for an active member status and participate in one of their service projects, according to Orscheln.
“I’ve definitely taught people who have never held a piece of yarn in their life,” Orscheln said. “You don’t need experience, just the desire to learn. … Usually we have a teaching team, so people that are
more experienced will volunteer to help teach us, and then we’ll start with basic stitches.”
As for what AKCAM makes, almost anything is possible.
President and animal science senior
Lauren Ameigh said club members create anything from clothes to plushies and keychains. As long as members have time and materials, they can make anything they want.
“We can make anything, almost,” Ameigh said. “We have members right now working on sweaters. I’ve knitted a sock or two during a meeting. During our personal project time, we can make anything that we want … and our service project is, right now we are crocheting heart keychains.”
AKCAM does more than just personal projects, though. Former president and biomedical science graduate student Elizabeth Bono personally helped in organizing one of the club’s service projects, putting their members’ skills toward a good cause.
“My big thing that I’m super proud of is that I was able to organize donations with Baylor Scott & White Hospital to create and then donate fidget blankets for Alzheimer’s patients,” Bono said. “That was really awesome. I feel like that had a big contribution to the community because we donated the first year and then came back the second year, and the person I was organizing it with was like, ‘Oh my gosh, they use it all the time,’ so that felt really nice.”
Besides their usual knitting and crafting, social events are another activity AKCAM hosts for its members.
“We try to have a social once
a month, but most of our socials we end up devolving into sitting around coffee and crocheting and talking,” Ameigh said. “ … But we do have a special social every semester that tends to step away from it, that is our active member social. It’s a way we reward our members who participate.”
With the members’ talent for making practical crafts continuing to positively impact the community, Bono said the group has become a one-of-a-kind organization.
“We’re the only club of our kind on campus,” Bono said. “ … I think it’s really hard in college to keep up with a lot of your hobbies that you really love, so it gives a space for people to continue doing their art projects or their crochet and knitting projects and not feel guilty.”
Crafting, especially fiber crafts, can be a challenge. However, the end products are very rewarding, and the crafts hold a special place in people’s hearts. Ameigh picked up the skill from her bisabuela, her great grandmother, and she continues to carry her hook in hand to use it to help those in her community.
“I come from a very large Puerto Rican family, and my matriarch, my bisabuela, she crocheted, and she was a master at it, and out of all of my cousins, out of all of her grandchildren, great grandchildren, I am the only one who picked up the hook,” Ameigh said. “She passed when I was in high school, and when we
Photos by Tilly Hillje THE BATTALION
World Shakuhachi
Lillian Lopez — THE BATTALION
A display table of shakuhachis sits during the World Shakuhachi Festival hosted by the College of College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts on Friday, April 18, 2025.
“The more they debate, the more I watch their debates and the more I learn.”
Brook said she believes it is important to learn more about the di erent policies each side stands for.
“As a Christian, I don’t like how Republicans use the Bible against it to spread hate because that’s not what Jesus was about,” Brook said. “So it’s not only about learning their mindset.”
Another attendee, Madison Ritter, who was not a student, said she was invited by a friend and wanted to learn more about the media personalities’ perspective.
“My whole family are Trump supporters, and I am the only one that’s not, so I kind of wanted
to hear the [conservative] side,” Ritter said. “I wasn’t even political until a few years ago, because I just ignored it all and I hated every bit of it, because nothing was going good the way I wanted it to. I de nitely like Dean’s point of view a lot better than Charlie’s view.”
Ritter said she wanted to take their talking points and use them in political discussions with her family.
“I got stuck in a car ride with them for four hours, and I got questioned as to why I believed the other way and I had nothing to say at that point,” Ritter said. “I tried to argue my arguments, but they didn’t hold ground from there. I wanted to get more information and have a better understanding of everything.”
Other conservative campus groups have been warned against associating with Turning Point USA, with the main conservative opposition being the Young America’s Foundation. Still, the organization has become one of the largest in the nation.
“Eight hundred and ninety medals, by the way, have been stolen from women,” Kirk said. “In track or in volleyball, that otherwise would have went to biological women because biological men
decided to play in that sport and we have to accommodate them. This is a massive problem that is an outgrowth of the death of Christianity.”
Previous estimates from medical researchers have placed the number of transgender athletes in women’s college athletics as under 100 in the United States.
The International Olympic Committee’s guidelines for transgender athletes notes that there should be “no presumed advantage” based on sex assigned at birth or sex characteristics.
Kirk continued to speak about his beliefs on the intersection of Christianity and politics, described as necessary for the continuation of Western civilization.
Following his speech, Kirk spoke to attendees and answered their questions. Topics ranged from immigration to automated vehicles.
“We need to be in the world but not of the world,” Kirk said.
“My contention is that the last 20 years, Christians have forsaked the public square because it was not easy and it was not comfortable.”
Harvesting the moon: A&M researchers look to moon dust for sustainable agriculture in space
Texas A&M students explore microorganism use, collaborate with NASA to transform lunar regolith for future tasks
By Erin Wunderlich News Reporter
It’s a crisp January night at the Heep Center, but graduate student Jess Atkin doesn’t mind. Making her way through the building, all is quiet when she enters her lab — save the hum of a few controlled growth chambers. Inside are tiny chickpea sprouts wearing little hats of moon dust, their stems just rising out of the soil.
Atkin is a NASA Future Investigators Earth and Space Science and Technology fellow and a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M. She has successfully grown chickpeas in a 99% moon dust simulant, or lunar regolith, that mimics the contents of the moon’s surface.
“We’re trying to convert a toxic environment into one that mimics Earth’s soil,” Atkin said. “The goal is to have greenhouses on the moon so astronauts can stay longterm without needing constant resupplies, which are very costly.” Moon dust itself is abrasive; for
astronauts, it’s especially dangerous.
The dust can easily cause microtears in space suits, pose serious health risks if inhaled and even damage mechanical systems or electrical components.
“Regolith is made up of various rock chips, mineral fragments, volcanic glasses and heavy metals, making it very sharp,” NASA space scientist John Gruener said. “Unlike Earth, the moon does not have an active hydrologic cycle to smooth out minerals over time from constant weathering.”
While regolith also contains essential minerals, these nutrients may not be in forms readily available for plant uptake. To solve this problem, Atkin uses microorganisms.
“When mixing two types of fungi, rhizobia and mycorrhizae, into lunar regolith, the two develop a symbiotic relationship with the chickpea plant,” Atkin said. “The mycorrhizae stabilizes the regolith’s structure and gathers inaccessible nutrients, while the rhizobia assists with nitrogen de ciency.” Regolith itself has no nitrogen sources, which are essential for growth. Atkin’s bacteria gathers nitrogen from the air and converts it into a form, like ammonium, that plants can use.
“These tiny bacteria are some of the only living things that can take nitrogen from the air and turn it into plant food,” Atkins
said. “In a lunar habitat, they pull nitrogen from the atmosphere and transform it into something plants can use, acting as a natural fertilizer.”
In her own research, and as a Space Plant Biology Lab intern at the Kennedy Space Center during the fall of 2024, Atkin successfully grew chickpeas in moon-like conditions. She also designed the rst experiment to grow plants on the moon through the Artemis program.
“The hope is that after you take the chickpea out, the substrate is now suitable to grow other plants and safe enough for astronauts to handle,” Atkin said.“It’s so amazing to see the plants ourish, but it’s ultimately the transformation of the regolith that will change everything — especially in anticipation of NASA’s permanent presence on the moon.”
Harrison Coker is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity fellow. Coker’s research focuses on introducing regolith within aeroponics — a system that suspends plant roots in the air while they are misted with nutrients — which could be e ective in lowgravity environments.
“We put a Mars soil simulant into a recirculating aeroponic system and found that the chemicals secreted by the roots
actually extracted nutrients from the regolith,” Coker said. “The nutrients were used by the plants and primed the soil for fertility. We could then take the fertile regolith out of the system after a few months and use it for safer plant growth.”
Before NASA can start constructing greenhouses on the moon, more research is needed to combat the presence of heavy metals within the regolith, which can be toxic. While plants can grow in moondust, they’re not yet safe for human consumption.
“We also need to think about the moon’s harsh environment,” Atkin said. “There are extreme temperatures, radiation and low gravity, which could present signi cant challenges.”
For Coker, a challenge is producing enough fertile regolith within the aeroponics system, as their study only yielded a small percentage.
“Even with the challenges that come with space agriculture, the e ciency of both Jess and Harrison’s research projects will feed back into our systems on Earth,” Gruener said.
Coker, to test in-space e ects on his aeroponics system, is partnering with Starbase Brewing, an Austin-based brewery aspiring to produce the rst beer on Mars. This summer, they plan to send the rst plant growth from the experiment to the International
“I’m really excited about this opportunity to be the rst to explore plant growth in a Martian substrate aboard the ISS,” Coker said. “This experiment represents a signi cant step in understanding how we can utilize lunar and Martian regolith for sustainable agriculture in space.”
Atkin said making the most inorganic, desolate substrate able to grow food will serve as a tool for drought-prone, nutrientde cit environments here on Earth.
“There are so many countries that face drought, degraded soils and malnourishment,” Atkin said.
“We could use this research to grow protein-rich plants, like chickpeas, to not only feed more people but to also reconstruct the environment, making it more fertile for future crops.”
In anticipation of NASA’s Artemis launch, Atkin is working on improving her research so astronauts can take a portable growth chamber to the moon. There, they can test e ects of radiation and low gravity on the chickpeas, regolith and bacteria.
“Right now, we’re doing a multi-generational growth project to see how many plants we can grow from
achieve a most optimized
Atkin said. “Then, it’s hopefully o to the moon.”
Space Station aboard SpaceX Crew 11.
the regolith, trying to
state,”
Jenna Isbell — THE BATTALION
A student films Charlie Kirk answering questions during The American Comeback Tour held at Rudder Auditorium on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
Photos courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife
Left to right: Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Ph.D. student Jess Atkin works with chickpeas grown in simulated moon dust on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. Samples of lunar regolith and dried chickpeas in Jess Atkin’s office Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Ph.D. student Jess Atkin holds a successful batch of chickpeas grown in simulated moondust on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
COMEBACK CONTINUED
UNF CK CONTINUED
Nicholas Gutteridge — THE BATTALION
A man on the Unfuck America Tour’s social media team livestreams Democratic social media personality Dean Withers’ debate with an attendee at Rudder Plaza on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
OPINION
The ‘college experience’ doesn’t exist
Hollywood lied: College is not like in the movies
By Maddie McMurrough Opinion Columnist
We have been Pavloved by Hollywood.
Every time we hear the words “college experience,” images of wild parties, dorm life and whirlwind romances dance around in our minds. Going into my freshman year, I thought my life was supposed to be a mirror image of “Pitch Perfect” and “Legally Blonde.”
When I gured out I wasn’t going to live that Hollywood college fantasy, I was devastated. I thought I was wasting my youth and missing out on the real “college experience.” I thought I needed to be doing more and being more. Hollywood dangled this Sword of Damocles over my head with the notion that these were the best years of my life.
So, why didn’t it feel like it?
My college experience has been anything but a movie. It’s been hard. We come to Texas A&M thinking this has to be the best time of our lives, but the reality is, it will probably be one of the most mentally, physically and emotionally challenging, but that’s what makes it so rewarding and worthwhile.
Finally, now, in my nal semester, I have accepted that a singular “college experience” doesn’t really exist. It’s di erent for everyone.
The number of relationships you had doesn’t matter. The excess of parties you went to doesn’t make you any cooler. The amount of friends you made isn’t important.
Popularity isn’t real in college, and there is no such thing as being cool. Don’t get distracted or discouraged by the Hollywood quanti ers.
The only thing that determines a successful college experience is if you leave a better, wiser and more mature person.
It took me way too long to come to terms with that idea, so, young readers, please take my advice. Your life and your experience does not have to look a certain way for it to have been a success.
I’ve always hated that line of “college is the best time of your life.”
Don’t get me wrong — college is great. I’ve had a blast these last four years. I’ve found my forever friends, I love being an independent adult, and I love getting to experience life my way. But I always thought since my time here didn’t consist of frat parties, going out on Northgate every weekend and “ring by spring” that it equated to a misuse of my youth.
I would freak myself out by thinking that I’m squandering the best years of my life. But then, last semester, I got a job. Graduation loomed and I started looking at apartments. I saw what real-world money, independence and life looked like.
By the way, life post-college is
looking freaking amazing.
I came to the conclusion that my life is never going to peak if I stop choosing to let it. Now, I can stop putting pressure on myself and enjoy the di erent seasons of life and the opportunities they bring.
College isn’t the best time of your life, it’s the prologue to it. So, don’t focus on what you have or haven’t accomplished while in college; these years are just the preamble for many more to come. Your youth doesn’t just evaporate the moment you get your diploma. The world doesn’t turn sad and gloomy the moment you leave College Station. If I’m being honest, my life gets brighter and more exciting each day closer to the moment I walk the stage. So why go to college if it’s not like the movies? For an education, obviously, but the most underrated aspect is that it allows for an opportunity for you to gure out what kind of person you are. Through all of the tough decisions and hard times, college
On running for the bus,
Silliness is a gift; use it
By Charis Adkins Opinion Editor
The other day, a friend and I were walking past the Memorial Student Center when from behind us came the clomping of sandals frantically slapping the pavement. Their owner dashed past, narrowly missing us with his swinging backpack and heading for an idling bus. No sooner had he stepped aboard did the vehicle close its doors.
My friend, upon witnessing this feat of punctuality, commented: “You know, I’d rather wait for the next bus than be seen running for it.”
At rst, I was inclined to agree — I’ve been known to wait a full light cycle at University Drive rather than dash across the crosswalk if I arrive at the intersection while the walk signal is already counting down. But I was struck with a rare moment of self re ection: why?
It wasn’t that the unexpected exercise was stopping me. It’s all very well to not want to dash around in the summer when the 100-degree heat will instantly make you regret it, but I’ve waited a light cycle in the wintertime, too.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t wearing the right shoes to run, or that I wasn’t late enough to warrant such an exertion. I came to the conclusion that it must be because I was worried about the audience. This is what my friend hit on as
gives you the chance to reach your full personal potential.
That is what you need to focus on: Who are you going to be, and what did you have to learn to get there?
When your time is up and you walk across the graduation stage, if you can answer that question you will have had a successful college experience.
College is like a snow ake — no experience is the same. That’s what makes it so special. So don’t worry about what other people are doing or not doing, just focus on you. Life isn’t like a movie, and college isn’t like “House Bunny.” You can’t control what happens during your years here, but you can control who you will become after them.
No matter what your life looked like at A&M, as long as you found who you are, you have had the ultimate college experience.
Maddie McMurrough is an agricultural communications and journalism senior and opinion
crosswalk
well — he’d rather wait than “be seen running for it.”
Why do we care so much about what other people see us do? People do much sillier things on this campus than running for buses or crosswalks. If you don’t believe me, just look at Barstool
Texas A&M.
It’s time to shed these robes of worrying that we’ll be seen doing something. We’re here at A&M to do things, aren’t we? Why should we feel ashamed to be seen doing them?
I’ve heard similar sentiments expressed about running to class, chasing a hat after the wind has blown it o your head and even wearing a backpack, of all things. It seems like being seen doing
any one of a number of activities is undesirable because of what people will think of you, but I don’t see why that matters. Have you ever seen someone running for the bus and given them more than a passing thought?
And why is it undesirable? Running for the bus makes you feel uncool. Running for your hat makes you feel silly. Come on, Aggies, where’s your whimsy? Where’s your enjoyment of life?
When I see someone running for the bus or the crosswalk, I don’t think about how uncool they are. I wonder what they’re running after. Is it a physics test? A lunch date? A class they really enjoy? Maybe they’re just looking for
some midday cardio.To paraphrase Little Orphan Annie, maybe they’re running simply because it gets them places quicker. And there’s nothing wrong with that. We need to shift our perspective, Ags. The world would be a much more whimsical, enjoyable place if we weren’t all so worried about looking silly. Silliness is a gift; foolishness is a virtue. If you're blessed with either — or, in rare cases, both — why wouldn't you use them? The greatest decision I’ve ever made was when I gave up caring what other people thought about what I was doing, and you should do the same. Now, mind you, this doesn’t mean ouncing around Simpson
Drill Field naked because you’ve decided you no longer care about other people’s opinions — that is a crime, after all.
I’m not saying to blast music on your walks to class or act out in a way that negatively a ects other people; public decency and consideration of others may not be Core Values, but they’ve still got to be considered. I’m just saying to loosen up a little.
There’s a di erence between acting goofy every once in a while and actively making your existence other people’s problem. Toe the line, please.
Getting back to the idea of looking silly in public, I promise: No one cares.
A&M has a student body of well over 70,000 — anything you do will quickly be superseded by someone else tomorrow. Besides, we all have our own things to worry about.
Just take a look around the next time you’re walking across campus. Half of the passersby will be locked onto their phones, and the other half will be wearing headphones and staring blankly into space.
Spatial awareness is on the decline, and with it awareness of other people. If you can do something silly enough to shake people to attention, I consider you something of a hero.
So, the next time you nd yourself at a chronal point of no return in which it’s either run for the bus or sit resigned for the next half hour, consider making the dash.
Charis Adkins is an English senior
File photo by Robert O’Brien
Texas A&M staff distribute 12th Man towels to students during the Ice Cream Carnival as part of the Howdy Week festivities at 12th Man Plaza on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.
Illustration by Chi-Chi Zhang — THE BATTALION
ENTERTAINMENT
Illustration by Steve Carrasco
By Mathias Cubillan Associate Sports Editor
After months of pomp, circumstance and thousands of mock drafts, the 2025 NFL Draft is nally set to take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from Thursday to Saturday, April 24-26. Three Texas A&M football players will trade maroon threads for draft hats as they take the next steps on their football journeys.
Shemar Stewart, junior edge rusher
Stewart nally answers an oftasked question — what would happen if you slapped a football helmet on a grizzly bear and set it loose on the eld? Carnage, unrelenting e ort and a whole lot of not really knowing what it’s doing.
To sell yourself on Stewart, who is more of an idea than a fullyeshed-out player at this point, you have to believe in his rare physical gifts. At 6-foot-5, 257 pounds, Stewart’s testing numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine scored him the 10.00 in Kent Lee Platte’s relative athletic score — ranking him No. 1 of the 2,012 defensive ends at the Combine dating back to 1987. He is a gment of your imagination.
What’s preventing this Lovecraftian berserker from being a lock-top- ve pick is simple: his lack of production. In his three years under the Kyle Field lights, Stewart amassed a measly 4.5 sacks. However, if an NFL team is willing to wade into the waters of analytics, it will see that Stewart found other ways to a ect the game.
Racking up 39 pressures, the most of anyone on the A&M squad, the Miami product used his raw power to penetrate the line, even when he wasn’t able to nish the play by getting the quarterback on the ground. Additionally, coach Mike Elko’s scheme focuses predominantly on his pass rushers battening down the hatches and playing contain on the quarterback, limiting true pin-his-ears-back pass rushing reps for Stewart.
“I think sack production — you know the way those kids impact games — is immeasurable,”
Elko said at A&M’s NFL Pro Day.
“I don’t think you can just look at sack numbers. … I know the NFL sees that. I think if you asked o ensive coaches in the SEC the impact those kids had on games, I think they would probably tell you it’s a little bit more than just the stat numbers.”
This is not to say that Stewart will be an ace pass rusher immediately. In fact, he’s far from it. With a pass rush win rate of under 12.5%, the edge falls notably under the typical threshold for rst-round prospects.
His lack of development in his rush plan stunts his ability to counter an initial punch by a
blocker, and when his bull rush fails, he’s left ailing. Stewart also boasts a 26.9% missed tackle rate in college, which is astronomically high. Some teams will view this as a positive, an opportunity for sacks left on the eld, while others will view him as an out-of-control athlete in need of too much technical re nement.
Despite the questions, Stewart will undoubtedly be a rst-round pick thanks to hall of fame coach Bill Parcells’ “Planet Theory,” which says that there simply aren’t many humans on Earth this large and this athletic.
Stewart’s pocket collapsing capabilities are real, and you can feel them on tape, but he needs a smart, patient team who will put the pieces of the puzzle together. If he lands with a well-run team like the Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers, Pro Bowls are absolutely in his future.
Nic Scourton, junior edge rusher
If the rock upon which Stewart builds his football church is Godgiven physical gifts, Scourton’s is built on production and e ort. After a 10-sack season for the Purdue Boilermakers in 2023, the Bryan kid came home and tallied ve sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in a First Team All-SEC campaign.
Scourton stands just under 6-foot-3 and is planning to play at around 265 pounds at the next level, a stark dropo from his 285-pound playing weight in his lone season for the Maroon and White. This sudden weight change is likely a way to optimize
his average athletic tools to best serve a jack-of-all-trades-masterof-none skillset.
Deployed as a screamer o the edge in Elko’s defense, Scourton ashes a bag of pass-rush moves to harass quarterbacks.
Scourton uses his go-to spin move maybe a tick more often than he should, but he frequently Tasmanian Devils his way into pressures. He also has moments of being able to “run the hoop” and bend the corner on o ensive tackles. The barrel-chested defensive end’s lack of power or speed mostly show up once his initial pass-rush move gets stymied by his blocker.
Scourton frequently fails to chain together counter moves to overcome a quick loss and solely relies on e ort to make his presence felt. Luckily for Scourton, his motor never runs cold. Finishing tied for second in the Southeastern Conference in TFLs, Scourton hunts down plays from the backside to slam cutback lanes shut. His toughness stands out at the point of attack, as he refuses to be blocked by anybody smaller than him and will anchor down.
As one of the youngest players in the class at only 20 years and six months old, Scourton is in prime position to get snaps right away at the next level. Adding the Bryan product to an already-dynamic defensive line will allow him to bring his no-nonsense stoutness to the next level. Teams like the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers make sense on Day 2.
Shemar Turner, senior defensive tackle
For better and for worse,Turner treats every defensive snap like it’s his last time on a football eld.
Turner’s 6-foot-3, 290-pound frame was tailor-made to play as a 3-technique. On passing downs, Turner is a ball of aming machetes that pierces through the o ensive line in a blink with a swim move to pants the guard across from him. But like his fellow Aggies in this draft class, the ability to break down and win the play with a sack is still a work in progress.
The pop in his hands would make his childhood idol, Ray Lewis, proud, and that power shows up most frequently against the run. Turner has good eyes and uses his leverage to stack and shed in the run game to force splash plays. He will occasionally hunt after big plays and leave his assigned gap barren, but you live with the occasional chunk run if he is making plays consistently.
It’s vital to note Turner plays like he absolutely hates his opponent. He tackles hard and plays through the echo of the whistle. Unfortunately, this can sometimes result in him uppercutting the groin of an opponent, but competitive re is infectious.
After a stress fracture injury that sidelined Turner for the majority of the pre-Draft process, the big hoss from DeSoto is now likely to be a Day 2 selection.
Mulligan: A&M baseball’s resurgence SPORTS
How superb pitching and dugout heroes have given the Aggies’ season a second chance
By Noah Ruiz Sports Writer
Not long ago, Texas A&M baseball’s 2025 campaign reached its lowest point in a demoralizing 10-0, no-hit run-rule loss to then-No. 1 Tennessee on April 4. The defeat was a kick in the mouth, dropping the Aggies to a crushing 14-15 record. With just one Southeastern Conference win to their name, it seemed the 2024 national runner-ups were destined for a failed season fraught with wasted potential.
But in their darkest moment, the Maroon and White sharpened their resolve and have been on a tear since: winners of 10 of their last 11 games, two SEC Player of the Week honors, 120+ combined runs and a pair of top-2 ranked road series victories.
An amazing comeback is brewing for the Aggies, but what has gone into their recent resurgence and what has made them one of the scariest teams going into the rest of their gauntlet of a schedule? Here are a few ways A&M has gained momentum and how its newfound synergy has carried it into the driver’s seat of its NCAA Tournament destiny.
Trust on the mound
Blown leads plagued the early season for the Maroon and White, but in recent weeks, coach Michael Earley has leaned on his bullpen and has let it torch opposing batters.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Weston Moss’ deadly change-up was paramount in toppling the then-No. 2 Arkansas batting order, and the rocket arm of redshirt sophomore RHP Luke Jackson has been freezing o enses in every appearance on the mound.
Additionally, Earley has found his go-to Tuesday night starter in freshman RHP Gavin Lyons, a slinging Connecticut native who has been instrumental in three comfortable midweek victories.
With lethal combinations of weekend pitchers at their disposal, the Aggies have been able to make sizzling pots out of some of the nation’s most red-hot o enses in Tennessee and Arkansas.
Standardized batting order
With the long-awaited return of sophomore designated hitter Caden Sorrell has come a batting order that hasn’t shu ed much in the last 11 contests. For good reason, too, seeing that the Aggie o ense is averaging 11.36 runs per game since being no-hit.
Having dynamic freshman right elder Terrence Kiel II in the one-hole has opened the door for a balanced attack through the whole batting order, and the Aggies have wreaked havoc on opposing pitching sta s.
No longer is there a gap between the meat of the order. It’s a Texas-sized barbecue bu et from Kiel to the nine-spot hitter, junior left elder Jamal George. And with Sorrell averaging a home run every three games since his return, it’s easy to see why A&M missed his production in the beginning of the season.
When you tie in junior center elder Jace LaViolette earning SEC Player of the Week honor for his four home runs against Arkansas, it is more than apparent that the current order is working to a tee.
‘The Master’-ing of dugout swagger
The 2022 A&M baseball team had Pringles, 2024 had the Rattlin’ Bog and in between it all was the “Whammy Wagon.” Today, the Aggies have shaved heads and some golf-inspired celebrations. These kinds of shared references unite players and fans alike, getting them excited to have something unique to them and them alone. When a home run gets drilled, what’s better than to feel like Tiger Woods on top of the world with a green Master’s jacket and a putter to boot?
The Aggies have their signature,
and the home run kings have stuck their bats in the kiln where the heat is just getting started.
When the players really start to believe in each other and in the process, it’s hard for fans and coaches alike to not get in on the fun of bald heads and mulligans on behalf of golf clubs for baseball bats.
Technique paying dividends
Just a few short weeks ago, the A&M batting order was not as robust as it appears today. As the Aggies got deeper into the order, quick outs were easy to come by for opposing teams’ pitchers, and the strikeout rate was immense.
But not anymore. Now, the SEC fears the names of redshirt sophomore rst baseman Blake Binderup and sophomore catcher Bear Harrison, among others. This sophomore duo has been on a tear since adjusting their stances and swing, signaling resilience in the ght from the Maroon and White.
Binderup is a week removed from his rst SEC Player of the Week honor and has been the di erence maker in many of his last starts, including a ve-RBI night with a grand slam that carried A&M over South Carolina on April 10. The local College Station High School product has crushed ve home runs in just eight games.
As for Harrison, the St. Mary’s transfer has skyrocketed his batting average from .077 to .323 in a little over a month, thanks to a new timing technique in his swing. He has since propelled himself to an everyday starter at catcher, and his defensive presence has been as solid as it gets in the SEC.
George is just now seeing his rise into a consistent starter with eight hits in his last ve games, but his batting isn’t the only thing that pleads his case for a starting role. A jaw-dropping over-the-wall home run robbery likely prevented a South Carolina victory on April 10, and his elding has not had a drop in production since.
Belief never ceased
A&M’s skipper never stopped believing in what his Aggies were capable of, and neither did his players. Earley made it known publicly that neither he nor his squad was ever going to give up, and their determination has never been more apparent.
From a pair of electric grand slams in the ninth inning against South Carolina to exacting revenge on old foes, the Maroon and White have put on full display what talent they possess and what can be done with it going forward.
Ole Miss’ 2022 national championship team weathered four straight SEC series losses before rising through the ashes for a battle through Omaha’s best. While the road ahead is as dangerous as it gets, hope is not lost for the Fightin’ Farmers to recreate a conference rival’s warpath.
Their struggle has not yet breathed its last, and until then, the Maroon and White will charge on, hungry for more.
Top to bottom: Texas A&M first baseman Blake Binderup (46)
game against
Men’s golf sets sights on SEC title
Texas A&M seeks its first SEC crown in the program’s history
Ava Loth Sports Writer
Fresh o of a team title at the Aggie Invitational on April 12-13 to close out their regular season, No. 17 Texas A&M men’s golf is now entering the postseason at the Southeastern Conference Championship on April 23-27.
The Aggies are battling it out at Sea Island Golf Club on the 7,005-yard, par-70 Seaside Course. Held at St. Simons Island, Georgia, for now the ninth consecutive year, the SEC Championship title remains unclaimed by the Maroon and White in program history. The annual championship tournament consists of three
rounds of stroke-play followed by a cut, with only the top eight out of 16 teams advancing. The top eight teams will compete in a match-play sudden death, with two elimination rounds to make it to the nals on Sunday. Though in recent years the Fightin’ Farmers have had no luck at the title, they’ve proven themselves to be a force to reckon with as they have earned their ticket to match-play for the last four straight seasons, while the 2016 and 2017 Aggie squads claimed the runner-up title. However, A&M has a tough eld to contest against as 13 of the 16 SEC teams are ranked in the top 35, with 10 of them being ranked in the top 20. The Aggies have lingered within the top 30 all season and have recently leaped to the top 20 after their recent train of success at their previous tournaments. With teams such as No. 1 Ole Miss bringing star player No.
3 junior Michael La Sasso and No. 3 Texas being led by No. 2 freshman Daniel Bennett, the competition is set to be erce. Other notable teams that will be making appearances include No.
2 Auburn, No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Florida.
The Aggies have faced these exceptional teams throughout their season, preparing them for what’s to come. A&M defeated Oklahoma at their most recent tournament by nine strokes. However, they have also had their share of defeat as they have fallen short in numerous tournaments to both Auburn and Texas. The Maroon and White are bringing their squad of ve to make a run for the conference team title. They’re led by No. 25 senior Phichaksn Maichon, who was named SEC Golfer of the Week on April 16 following his win while defending his home course at the Aggie Invitational.
Joining the lineup will be No. 90 freshman Wheaton Ennis, No. 145 senior Michael Heidelbaugh, No. 359 junior Jaime Montojo and No. 181 sophomore Aaron Pounds. Ennis added to the squad’s energy as he recently broke into the top 100 rankings for the rst time in his collegiate career.
Heidelbaugh has been a quiet but reliable scorer for A&M as he has consistently nished in the top-30 individually in eight of his 10 tournaments. Another advantage for the Aggies is that four out of their ve starters played in this tournament at the same course in 2024. Going into this tournament having knowledge of the course layout will be a great edge for the Maroon and White.
The top four starters for the Aggies have been dominant all season and ultimately have guided them to where they stand going into the championship
tournament. However, the No. 5 spot has been up for grabs by multiple Aggies all year. No. 525 senior Vishnu Sadagopan and Montojo have both had the opportunity to prove themselves for that No. 5 spot. But Montojo, with a scoring average of just one stroke below Sadagopan, got the nod for the nal starting spot. The Aggies will bring Sadagopan as a reserve.
A&M posted a team total of 867 at their last tournament as they capped o their regular season. Over the course of the season the ve-man squad has secured three tournament wins and ve top-three nishes. Hoping to make program history and claim the title for the rst time at the SEC Championship, tee times start at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, April 27, as A&M is paired up with No. 18 Vanderbilt and No.
Alabama.
