The Battalion - October 14

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2021 STUDENT MEDIA

‘It isn’t enough’ Provided

The Doctors in Italy Fellowship Program allows students to gain experience abroad.

Fellowship abroad provides medical, cultural experience A&M student took opportunity to shadow doctors in Italian program

By Aubrey Vogel @aubrey_vogel

File

Texas A&M was one of 101 institutions to receive the 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award.

Recent diversity award refreshes conversation surrounding A&M’s past inaction, need for change

By Lauren Discher @laurendischer

F

or the third year in a row, Texas A&M was named one of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity, or HEED, Award winners, eliciting mixed reactions from students.

Awarded by the INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine in early October, this award recognizes American and Canadian universities

making a clear commitment to diversity and inclusion. A&M will be one of only 101 institutions featured in the November 2021 issue. As a result of the recent protests concerning the controversial Lawrence Sullivan “Sully” Ross statue in A&M’s Academic Plaza, in addition to the general racial insensitivity surrounding A&M’s campus culture, some students question the validity of this award, while others believe it is deserved.

Psychology junior Dana Dang said A&M’s lack of response to anti-Sully protests makes students feel unheard and unimportant.

“I don’t want minority students to feel like they should just get over it,” Dang said.

“It’s so ironic that they won’t take it down because it’s a tradition, but they’ll act as if [the protests] never happened, and other students will tell us to get over the past. [A&M doesn’t] care enough about their present day

minority students because they think Old Ags will pull funding away because of what we do or us trying to sustain an image. A&M says they’re not racist, but it isn’t enough when they’re not proactively anti-racist.”

Though she appreciates the effort A&M has shown in advancing diversity, inclusion and representation, Dang said this does not negate the lack of acknowledgement and transparency concerning the explicitly racist parts of the university’s history.

“I wish they would be more upfront about it and display it on an open and wide-reaching media platform,” Dang said.

“Sometimes the treatment of minorities feels performative even though I know there are genuine people that are fighting to get minority students the representation they deDIVERSITY ON PG. A3

Fellowship opportunities for students have been hard to come by due to COVID-19, but one Texas A&M student was able to defy odds and landed an opportunity of a lifetime overseas.

Neuroscience junior Aidan Boriack spent three weeks of her summer in Italy shadowing world class doctors in the Doctors in Italy Fellowship Program at Campus Bio-Medico University.

After searching for fellowship openings close to home, Boriack said she turned online to find a place where she could get in hours shadowing a doctor to help guide her career path. Boriack said studying overseas helped her become culturally rounded when dealing with patients.

“In the medical field being culturally well rounded is kind of essential because you’re treating a variety of different patients from different backgrounds,” Boriack said. “Being able to understand where they’re coming from, and their belief [in] certain aspects of medicine, is important to be able to relate to them in some way.”

The program focuses on allowing students to see multiple fields they are interested in to get a feel for each. Boriack said she spent four days a week in the hospital rotating through specialties she was interested in, including anesthesiology, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology.

“Being in Italy, and working at that hospital, you really understand the pros and cons of universal medicine versus the medicine that we have in the United States,” Boriack said. “In my future career, it’s something that I can work toward — bettering the system when it comes to payments and patient care and that sort of thing.

It’s a very different system, and there [are] some good takeaways that you can bring from that.”

CEO and co-founder of the Doctors in Italy FELLOWSHIP ON PG. A3

Aggies prepare for first conference Tiger opponent A&M firing on all cylinders heading to SEC away matchup with Mizzou

By Michael Horton @mhhort Fresh off a historic win, Texas A&M football faces another tough task: moving on to the next week.

On Saturday, Oct. 9, A&M upset the reigning national champion Alabama Crimson Tide at home in one of the squad’s biggest wins of the decade. Now that the dust has settled, the players have danced and the memes have been posted, the team must prepare for a road game against the Missouri Tigers on Saturday, Oct. 16.

This will be the 16th matchup between the Aggies and the Tigers in the teams’ history.

The teams have a unique relationship, as Mis-

souri joined the Big 12 in 1996 to become a conference rival of the Aggies. In 2012, both schools joined the SEC to remain inner-conference opponents.

The Aggies hold a narrow 8-7 edge in alltime matchups. The Aggies started the series on a six-game winning streak between the 1957 and 1999 seasons. Since then, the Tigers have won seven of the last nine meetings.

Most recently, Missouri won a 34-27 shootout at Kyle Field in 2014.

The Aggies will enter Colombia, Mo., with a 4-2 record overall and a 1-2 record in conference play. After dropping their first two conference games, the Aggies silenced doubters with a 41-38 victory over Alabama.

After a rocky few games to open his time as the starter, redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada showed enormous improvement against the Tide, tossing for 285

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

The Saturday, Oct. 16 game against the Missouri Tigers in Columbia, Mo., promises to test GAME PREVIEW ON PG. A6 the Aggies on the road against another SEC opponent.

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The Battalion | 10.14.21

Hitching rides across Texas

Creative Commons

University of Texas graduate Kush Singh’s ride-hailing service, “Hitch” provides rides to several major cities in Texas and job opportunities to those who get behind the wheel.

Aggies travelling to major cities can carpool, earn money with new app

By Caroline Wilburn @carolinewilburn A normally monotonous and long trip along highways is now an opportunity for students to earn money and help out fellow Aggies.

Texas A&M’s Transportation Department recently partnered with ride-hailing company Hitch to offer students additional opportunities to travel out of College Station. CEO Kush Singh launched the business in January 2019 as a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin.

“I was always taking the Greyhound and the Megabus in between Dallas and Austin,” Singh said. “Sitting in the bus was the single most time-consuming event of the entire experience but ironically was also the part of [the] experience I [looked] forward to the least.”

The company encourages drivers who are already traveling a popular route to take others with them and earn money while doing so.

Hitch vehicles are 4-door sedans, making it easy for students to book individual seats or the entire car for groups. “[It] was to not just reinvent the wheel on how buses are booked or tracking buses, but to actually try and create an alternative transportation option that’s incredibly affordable and accessible to everybody,” Singh said. “[It’s] an experience that a lot of people will now look forward to.”

With a network of background checked drivers, Hitch allows students to freely travel without owning a car. Singh said one of his goals for Hitch is to promote trust and safety among riders by completing background checks and beginning to offer “women-only” rides.

“No carpooling companies will really [commit] to doing that, and I think we have,” Singh said. “I think that’s been a really strong thing, not only in College Station, but all across Texas.”

Singh said he wanted Hitch to own the experience so riders and drivers can avoid doing additional work in order to coordinate the carpool. A&M offers three convenient pick up spots located near the Commons, the Student

Recreation Center and Northgate.

“What’s interesting about our model versus a traditional rideshare business like Uber and Lyft is it’s offsetting costs for the drivers, who are already headed in that direction, anyway,” Singh said. “Over 95 percent of people who are driving between cities aren’t making a single dime off their empty seats, and the way that we price is really toward how we can offset 100 percent of the gas cost on each leg for each driver.”

Current Hitch driver and former UT student Sherri Naqvi said she was introduced to the company as a freshman.

“Around sophomore year I started using the platform myself as [a] passenger,” Naqvi said. “I would go back home, a couple times to Houston where my family is. I liked it way more than taking the Megabus. It just felt a lot more comfortable to be in a nice car that was only you and maybe one other person, and I really felt comfortable there and at ease.”

During the initial COVID-19 lockdown, Hitch adapted it’s services to send packages and goods across the state of Texas. The company offers same-day delivery, which can be booked same-day or up to 60 days in advance,

according to their website.

“If you were in Austin and you needed to ship a cake to your mom by tomorrow, then I would volunteer to take that because I’m already going to Houston,” Naqvi said.

“I would just put it in my car and deliver it to her.”

Transportation Services has often received questions from students who are looking for inter-city travel, Sustainable Transportation manager Ron Steedly said in an email to The Battalion.

“We also promote our partnerships with inter-city travel providers to new students and parents who want to understand options if they come to College Station without a vehicle,” Steedly said in the email. “We now have several choices such as the inter-city/ break shuttle, airport shuttle, smart trips ride matching service and Hitch.”

For more information on Hitch and other services, visit their website www.ridehitch. com.

Assistant news editor Nathan Varnell contributed to this article.

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DIVERSITY CONTINUED serve and are trying to get their voices heard and stories told.”

Despite not experiencing name-calling or other more obvious forms of racism, Dang said she has experienced microaggressions.

“I’ve had a girl literally tell me that her temporary and voluntary visit to Italy where she felt uncomfortable being asked if she was American was equal to the Asian American experience of being scrutinized for my cultural food in the United States, which I would call my permanent home and residence,” Dang said. “In the same class, another girl tried to justify the end of racism toward Asian Americans by saying that the west has finally popularized Asian food like building Panda Express.”

In her opinion, Megha Viswanath, Class of 2021, said A&M has not done enough to deserve this award due to the ill treatment she and other minority students have experienced.

“As someone who has been involved in student government, there is a lot of bureaucratic diversity occurring that A&M prides itself on, which frankly doesn’t actually advance or tangibly change anything,” Viswanath said. “It’s simply for the PR. There are individuals within the community — students, teachers and staff — that work very hard to make getting an education and future as accessible, inclusive and respectful as possible. And unfortunately, a lot of their work and requests are either silenced, go unfunded or are not taken seriously.”

Viswanath said she hasn’t seen A&M do much more than create positive social media posts.

“Slapping the word ‘diversity’ across programs without actually tailoring those programs to what students and faculty need, I don’t think [A&M] is in a place to be awarded as a leader in [diversity, equity and inclusion],’’ Viswanath said. “Actions speak louder than words, and [A&M] has yet to create a place where all Aggies truly belong.”

Among those who think A&M deserves the award, university studies senior Clayton Collier said it is important to recognize the efforts the school has made to advance inclusion on campus.

“I think A&M has done quite a bit in the past span of months of advancing its grasp on diversity,” Collier said. “I think that most of the student body has felt included in most aspects of being here. It’s a place that puts pride in its message of being the 12th Man, and systems like the Aggie Foundation have helped other fellow Aggies in need and have made this place such a unique experience.”

Collier said the university can only encourage diversity to a certain extent — it’s up to individual students to treat their peers fairly.

“Are there those who feel they have been excluded from the rest?” Collier said. “Absolutely.

But it is our task as fellow Aggies to find ways to help those out who feel that way and find new avenues to make solutions to fix these issues as a result.”

Provided

The 2021 Italy Fellowship Program recorded a total of 24 out of 25 female students, including A&M neuroscience junior Aidan Boriack, bringing opportunity to women in the medical field.

FELLOWSHIP CONTINUED Fellowship Program Nadia Neytcheva said students are given the chance to interact with a doctor from the start of their morning until mid-day. Many students would choose to stay beyond their required time to watch procedures they were interested in, Neytcheva said. “[Students are] paired with a doctor [to] follow for the day, [they] meet the doctor and then follow him or her through surgeries and whatever the doctor has planned,” Neytcheva said.

The program is built not only for students to shadow, Neytcheva said, but also to explore Italy through day trips and weekend outings.

Of the 25 participants this summer, 24 were female, which Boriack said indicates the historical male domination of the medical field is breaking.

“Medical schools are trying to allow [in more] minorities and women, instead of what has always been,” Boriack said.

“It’s awesome to see that women are more likely to take those bigger risks and join a profession that is going to take years, and they may not get married until they’re like 30 and have children until their mid-30s.

We’re kind of breaking this mold of what women typically are thought to do.”

Boriack said going into the program, she was very interested in surgery as a career,

though her paths were shifted after experiencing the program.

“What I learned there definitely changed my outlook on what I want to do,” Boriack said. “When I was there, I discovered that I wasn’t really interested in surgery. I wasn’t a fan of standing around in a super cold quiet room for hours and hours and hours on end. So I think I want to adjust what I’m learning to something more critical.”

Neytcheva said the program encourages travel throughout the country with excursions and day trips. Additionally, many students take it upon themselves to schedule extra travels to see the country.

“Rome is in the center of Italy, so within two, three hours with the train, you can reach pretty much everywhere,” Neytcheva said. “Once you are in Italy, you cannot not travel. It’s a must. Some of the tours and excursions we plan directly and we take the students as a group, while [some students] arranged to have getaways [during the weekends] and go to explore even more distant cities.”

Neytcheva said she encourages students who are nervous to travel overseas to apply because of the growth she has seen from previous program participants.

“At the end of the experience, they all mentioned that this has been the best occasion to grow and they were much more capable than they thought. So they gained a lot of confidence in themselves, which

is part of what you experience when you go abroad to a different country on your own,” Neytcheva said. “And you’re not alone because you are always assisted by coordinators; you’re in a program, which is well structured. And so it’s a very good way to start your experiences overseas.”

Boriack said students should apply for the program to help them learn to take risks and do things outside their comfort zones.

“I was going into this not knowing a single person, not knowing what to expect, and it was life changing — really put yourself, your life, into perspective,” Boriack said. “You see what they struggle with over there with their health care system, and there’s a lot of comparing [and] contrasting when you’re there and it really, really makes you think about how we can change and how we can improve our system and what we can avoid as well.”

For students interested in the program, summer 2022 applications are now open on its website and Neytcheva said now is the time to apply.

“Ideally, students should plan to apply between now and January, and this way they can plan their financials and work on fundraising [to] get help from parents and family,” Neytcheva said. “We encourage them to start thinking now about next summer, so you have more time to dream about it.”

OPINION

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The Battalion |10.14.21

OPINION

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Opinion writer Zach Freeman discusses rumours circulating around possible consolidation of Texas A&M’s College of Liberal Arts in his latest column.

A&M Liberal Arts under threat

President Kathy Banks needs to respect legacy of Liberal Arts, include faculty in conversation Zach Freeman @ZachAtBatt

T

he anxiety surrounding cut-backs and the volatility of our job market is all too familiar for many.

Professors at Texas A&M worry their departments might be next on the chopping block and are unfairly granted little communication from leadership.

A&M Liberal Arts faculty, staff and students are alarmed about the prospect of consolidation or elimination. These fears stem from a $600,000 contract with MGT of America Consulting, signed off

by Billy Hamilton, deputy chancellor and CFO of the university System. President Banks will likely address the issue in the near future, but has remained relatively silent thus far. Anonymous faculty have

criticized Banks for not being forthright with Liberal Arts faculty and the future of their careers.

I know firsthand our Anthropology Department does genuinely impressive work that should not be stifled. When I first changed my major from genetics to anthropology, I was skeptical about the latter’s placement in Liberal Arts. Over time, I’ve learned to love the College of Liberal Arts and value the Department of Anthropology’s history within it. As a proud student of the Liberal Arts, I would hate to see future Aggies denied any opportunities that come with stretched funding or an unfavorable organization. The hard-working faculty and staff similarly deserve better.

Anthropology professor Sharon Gursky gifted tarsier enthusiasts — a small primate who looks like it’s getting ready for a long night of prepping for midterms

— worldwide with the knowledge of a new species, Tarsius spectrumgurskyae.

These tiny junkie monkeys, though still impressive, are only one small part of A&M’s anthropological breakthroughs.

Anthropology department head Darryl de Ruiter was part of the team that discovered a new hominin species, Homo naledi, ranking among one of the top anthropological and paleontological discoveries of the decade. A&M’s Nautical Archaeology Program was among the first in the country and was founded by a pioneer in the field, George F. Bass, who was included in TIME’s Great Scientists: The Geniuses and Visionaries Who Transformed Our World. Techniques and knowledge developed in the Nautical Archaeology Program will be used to preserve history once inaccessible.

Late archaeology professor Alston Thoms was the assistant director at the

Richard Beane site in San Antonio in the 1990s, which proved to be a vital project in allowing south Texas American Indians to reclaim their heritage and artifacts. I took two classes with Thoms, and his enthusiasm and expertise still impacts me to this day. I largely got into foraging because of how much he loved sharing his own personal knowledge of edible flora. Anyone who knew him can probably still recall his stories of the Great Camas Cookout. His advocacy and wisdom will continue to impact Texas archeology and Indigenous Texans’ fight for recognition for years to come.

There are stories just like these in every department within the College of Liberal Arts. The people, expertise, discoveries and experiences in Liberal Arts are vital to the university and bring real and meaningful change to the world.

They’re a part of Aggie history. If we are consolidated into other colleges, or eliminated altogether, I’m afraid we might lose some of our history. As a university that cherishes its history and traditions, it would be shameful to lose such a valued part of ourselves.

What’s worse is the lack of transparency. In correspondence with The Battalion, faculty members accused President Banks of lying about how involved individual colleges are in MGT’s evaluations.

Above all, faculty and the student body — those most directly impacted — need to be informed about what’s going on.

We need to provide future students the same opportunities for research and success as we’ve granted in the past, if not more. Even if MGT’s consultation yields the best outcomes, everyone involved should be made aware, instead of being left blind and stumbling through the dark. I can’t imagine how faculty might feel, having no idea where their job, program, department and even college might be in the coming years.

President Banks’ response can’t come soon enough — it should have come earlier, frankly. It needs to lift the veil and let the Aggies know what their future holds. A&M is the legacy of the professors and staff who dedicated their lives to making this university and our world a better place. The least we can do is let people know what’s going to happen to their legacy.

Zachary Freeman is an anthropology senior and opinion columnist for The Battalion.

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The Battalion | 10.14.21

A&M defense has confidence back for Missouri

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M’s defensive linemen will look to regain focus heading into the Saturday, Oct. 16 matchup against a physical and experienced Missouri offense.

Aggies seek to establish defensive dominance against unranked Tigers

By Ryne Ryskoski @rusty_ryskoski_ The Texas A&M defense is back in its groove.

A four-sack, five-tackle-for-loss and two-turnover showing against the nation’s number one team was just what defensive coordinator Mike Elko and his players needed after two tough losses. But they’ll have to forget all about it with 3-3 Missouri playing host on Saturday, Oct. 16.

Head coach Jimbo Fisher said he’s moved past the win over Alabama and the team needs to carry what they’ve learned into Columbus, Mo., against the Tigers.

“The important thing now is this game is over with, [I’m] tired of talking about it,” Fisher said. “The lessons we’ve learned … are wasted unless we carry them into this week.

Missouri is a very tough place to play; they’re an outstanding opponent.”

Sophomore defensive back Antonio Johnson said Missouri is in a similar position as A&M, in that both teams have struggled but feel they’re close to firing on all cylinders.

“I feel like they’re in the same boat as us: they have a point to prove,” Johnson said.

“We’ve got to go into this week just as focused as we were going into last week.”

A few A&M defenders have gotten hot in the last few weeks, most notably graduate defensive lineman Micheal Clemons, junior defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal and senior safety Leon O’Neal Jr. Those three and their experience will be just as important this week against a solid passing offense, and especially the rest of the season.

Clemons made it three straight games with at least one sack against Alabama, Leal has racked up three tackles-for-loss and two sacks the last three weeks and O’Neal had a career-high nine tackles against the Crimson Tide, with a sack and a pass breakup. Leal and

Clemons also had six pressures each, the most among SEC defensive ends in Week 6.

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said A&M’s defensive front has impressive size and the Aggies use that size in different ways very well, whether it be filling gaps or rushing the quarterback.

“We’ve definitely got our hands full this week,” Drinkwitz said. “They’re all physical and big. They’ve got experience. They all have quick-twitch, can bullrush and can throw people off.”

Missouri and its 38 points-per-game offense is led by quarterback Connor Bazelak, running back and receiver hybrid Tyler Badie and receiver Keke Chism. In the Tigers’ three wins this year, Bazelak averaged 269 passing yards per game, threw eight touchdowns to no interceptions and completed 20 passes to Chism and Badie combined.

After the win over North Texas, Drinkwitz said Badie is perhaps the most underrated player in the country based on his abilities as both a runner and a receiver. Badie ran for

over 200 yards in the win and scored three touchdowns — two on the ground, and one as a receiver. He’s logged over 800 total yards and scored 12 touchdowns this season.

“He’s probably the least talked about great player in the country right now,” Drinkwitz said. “He is really competing hard, and he’s a special player. We really need him.”

Fisher said Missouri’s offense can pose issues with its trickery, and all aspects of its offensive strategy are of high quality and can cause confusion among the defense. Badie is a factor in that confusion, and Fisher and Elko will have to pick and choose how they want him guarded.

“Eli does a great job,” Fisher said. “His running schemes, his counters, his stretches, his play action. He’s a great trick play guy, he’s always got eye violations and constant motions.”

A&M’s secondary wasn’t perfect by any means against Alabama, but its speed and ball skills from O’Neal, junior safety Demani Richardson and freshman cornerback Jaylon Jones make it tough on any offense — even those that thrive through the air and have versatile players.

The Tigers’ offense also ranks in the bottom half of the SEC in rushing yards per game, so Leal and Clemons should be able to get after the quarterback more often with Missouri ranking fourth in the SEC in passing yards per game and third in passes attempted.

Fisher said his defense needs to continue the mentality of being fierce and assertive early in games because the turnovers caused by this playing style were the main reason A&M won this past weekend.

“I thought our defense was very aggressive.

I thought we affected the quarterback very well,” Fisher said. “Turnovers affect the outcome of a game greater than anything. We’ve got to get more of them, and we’ve got to keep getting them.”

A&M kicks off on SEC Network at 11 a.m. against Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 16. The Aggies are 2-3 at Faurot Field and hold an 8-7 all-time advantage against the Tigers.

Newly decorated A&M offense aims high against Tigers Aggies’ offensive line cannot become complacent on road at Faurot Field

By Brad Bennett @Brad_Bennett13 Texas A&M football’s matchup against Missouri gives the Aggies an opportunity to build on their high-profile victory over former No. 1 Alabama.

The 4-2 No. 21 Aggies continue their SEC conference play traveling to face a 3-3 Missouri team that has struggled defensively. The Tigers have given up at least 28 points in four consecutive games and are coming off a 48-35 victory over North Texas.

A&M is coming off its best offensive performance of the season with redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada throwing three touchdowns against a talented Alabama defense. A&M’s offensive line didn’t allow a single sack and gave the running backs enough room to set up long play action passes for Calzada. Junior tight end Jalen Wydermeyer and junior wide receiver Ainias Smith combined to catch Calzada’s three touchdown passes.

A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said he was proud of Calzada’s ability to bounce back and perform amid the outside pressure.

“I’m very happy for [Calzada] to stay in the saddle, to stay in there,” Fisher said. “When you’re a quarterback, you get all the glory and all the blame. When he was getting all the blame, it wasn’t true. And right now he’s getting all the glory; it’s not true.”

Fisher also said it is important for Calzada and the rest of the team to not get complacent, instead emphasizing the need to continue to work hard for the team’s fast-approaching

game.

“You [have] to eliminate the clutter, block it out, come back and practice and prepare like you did last week and do the things you got to do to be able to go play,” Fisher said. “Missouri is a very tough place to play. They’re an outstanding opponent in what they do. They play very [well] at their place. Always have.

They’re going to be right there, ready for us, waiting to knock us off.”

Fisher said the best aspects of Missouri’s defense are its complex coverages and ability to get to the quarterback. “[Missouri provides] different pressures.

They blitz and they mix up their coverages on defense,” Fisher said. “They’re physical on defense. The front plays very hard. Linebackers can run. Secondary guys, they lost one corner here recently, but the safeties tackle well.”

Junior running back Isaiah Spiller said it is important not to underestimate Missouri’s defense, even though it gives up an average of 287.8 rushing yards per game, the third most in the country.

“I feel like we still [have] to come with the same mentality as we did last week,” Spiller said. “We just gotta keep playing.”

Junior offensive lineman Kenyon Green has played multiple positions across the offensive line, including both tackle and guard positions, for the Aggies this season. Green was a valuable component of the line that dominated the talented Alabama defensive front last week.

Green said his versatility comes from his desire to help the team in whatever way he can.

“I’m a team player,” Green said. “Wherever my team needs me, I’m gonna go handle my business and make sure I’m focused and ready to play.”

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Coming off a strong performance over the Alabama Crimson Tide, the A&M offense will be challenged in Columbia, Mo., with Calzada and the rest of the line expected to respond.

LET’S BE FRIENDS Myranda Campanella, Editor-in-Chief Julia Potts, Managing Editor Shelby McVey, Audience Engagement Abbey Santoro, Photo Chief Robert O’Brien, Asst. Photo Chief Aubrey Vogel, News Editor Nathan Varnell, Asst. News Editor Casey Stavenhagen, Sports Editor Jennifer Streeter, Sports Editor Ryan Faulkner, Asst. Sports Editor

Cori Eckert, Design Editor & Business Manager Joshua Howell, Opinion Editor Caleb Powell, Asst. Opinion Editor Michaela Rush, Life & Arts Editor Kathryn Miller, Asst. Life & Arts Editor Annie Wells, Multimedia Editor Lauren Discher, Special Section Editor

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The Battalion | 10.14.21

WEEK 7: STAFF PICKS Texas A&M vs. Missouri Saturday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. on SEC Network

Myranda Campanella

Julia Potts

Editor-in-Chief @MCampanella_

Managing Editor @juliaapotts

The Tigers are gonna be rolling some tears, too.

I don’t watch football, but apparently we’re good at it now.

MYRANDA Casey Stavenhagen

Jennifer Streeter

JULIA

Co-Sports Editor @CStavenhagen

Co-Sports Editor @jennystreeter3

JENNIFER

There are too many Tigers in the SEC, I forgot about Mizzou. #WeWantGeorgia

Call an ambulance! But not for A&M.

CASEY Cori Eckert

Kathryn Miller

Head Page Designer @corieckert

CORI

A&M vs. Mizz-WHO? #bringbackbama.

KATHRYN

GAME PREVIEW CONTINUED yards, three scores and an interception. The strong outing puts his season totals at 1,029 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

In the Monday, Oct. 10 press conference, A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said he was happy to see the support for Calzada from the fans but hoped it wouldn’t become a distraction for the young passer moving forward.

“When you’re a quarterback, you get all the glory and all the blame,” Fisher said. “He was getting all the blame, and it wasn’t true.

Now he’s getting all the glory; it’s not true.

You’ve got to eliminate the clutter; block it out. Come back, practice, prepare like you did last week and do the things you’ve got to do to be able to go play.”

Calzada has the support of a dominant running back committee, primarily featuring bruising junior Isaiah Spiller and evasive sophomore Devon Achane. Spiller has totalled 491 yards and three touchdowns on the ground this season, while Achane has added 330 yards and two more touchdowns of his own. Both running backs are also capable receivers, and

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Achane’s 96-yard kickoff return touchdown was paramount in the maroon and white’s most recent victory.

Spiller said he was especially impressed by Achane’s speed in the open field and his ability to create a seemingly effortless highlight play.

“Devon is indescribably fast,” Spiller said.

“He’s one of those guys that is just naturally good at football. He’ll just come on the field and do whatever he feels like doing. He’s just one of those people.”

During their three SEC matches this season, the Aggies took a step back defensively. They gave up 17 total points in their first three games and 84 in their last three outings.

Despite this dip in dominance, the squad has retained intensity in the red zone, allowing just seven touchdowns in 19 trips. This mark ranks them 13th in the nation in total red zone defense and second in the SEC, behind only Georgia.

Defensively, sophomore defensive back Antonio Johnson has led the way with 47 total tackles. The defensive line has been bolstered by senior Michael Clemons and junior DeMarvin Leal, who have a combined eight sacks through five games. Senior safety Leon

If your mascot is a Tiger that’s definitely a red flag.

O’Neal Jr. has also been a disruptor, with two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Missouri enters the weekend with a 3-3 record overall and a 0-2 record in conference play. The squad is coming off a 48-35 win over North Texas last weekend.

Mizzou’s offense has a potent passing attack led by sophomore quarterback Connor Bazelak, who has thrown for 1,682 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions this season.

He is fourth in the conference in passing yards and tied for fifth in passing touchdowns. The Tigers also flaunt a talented backfield, as senior running back Tyler Badie has accounted for 675 rushing yards and an SEC-leading 12.

Defensively, the Tigers have struggled this season. They have surrendered a conference-high 37.5 points per game and 499.5 yards per game. Their defensive issues have been most exposed during their two SEC matches, in which they have been outscored 97-52.

Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz is in his second season with the team and currently holds an 8-8 overall record. Following the win over North Texas, Drinkwitz said he was proud of his defense’s improvements but still

thinks the unit has a long way to go.

“It wasn’t perfect, but we didn’t think we were going to transform into the 1985 [Chicago] Bears overnight,” Drinkwitz said. “We’re working toward it, and I thought we took a big step in the process.”

Given the combination of explosive offense and inconsistent defense Missouri possesses, the Aggies likely must prepare for a shootout.

Although Calzada has shown tremendous growth as a passer, the squad will likely lean on Spiller and Achane’s production, as Mizzou has allowed 288.8 rushing yards per game.

On Monday, Fisher said the team needs to respect every opponent, regardless of its record or how it has looked in past games, drawing reference to a quote from Alabama head coach Nick Saban before the upset.

“As Saban said [before the A&M game], ‘This is a trap game,’” Fisher said. “You can’t listen to the stuff all week and live in the past; that’s over with, man. That’s over with, yesterday. Today is all Missouri.”

Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16, at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo.

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The Battalion | 10.14.21

A&M soccer looks to roll more tears against Alabama

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Samuel Falade— THE BATTALION

The Texas A&M soccer team will be on the hunt for redemption on Friday, Oct. 15. A slow start to the season gives the Aggies a chance to fight their way back to the top.

A&M soccer to take on Crimson Tide for 2021 Senior Night at Ellis Field

By Michael Horton @mhhort After an uncharacteristically slow start, Texas A&M soccer is looking for a spark on one of the biggest nights of the season.

The Aggies are preparing for a matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide for Senior Night on Friday, Oct. 15. The Aggies hold an 8-3-1 record against Alabama in the squads’ head-to-head series.

After starting the season with a 5-2-1 record, which included a win against then-No. 9 Clemson and one-goal losses to No. 1 Florida State and then-No. 8 TCU, the Aggies

dropped five of their next six matches to fall to 6-7-1 overall and 2-4 in conference play.

This is uncharted territory for many of the players, as the maroon and white has not seen a season with seven losses since an eight-loss campaign in 2016.

Most recently, the team dropped a 2-0 match at Ole Miss. In a press conference on Monday, Oct 11, A&M head coach G Guerrieri said, though Ole Miss is talented, uncommon circumstances and atypically missed opportunities played a factor in the Aggies’ poor performance.

“Ole Miss is a different type of team,” Guerrieri said. “They are a team that thrives on chaotic situations. Circumstances helped them quite a bit. A 20 mile-per-hour wind coming right down the field adds a lot of chaos to the game. They had two shots and they

scored two goals. We had 16 shots and didn’t score.”

So far this season, freshman forward Maile Hayes has paved the way offensively, leading the squad in goals with six total and two in conference play. Freshman defender Mia Pante has led the squad in assists with seven total, two in conference play. Senior goalkeeper Kenna Caldwell has been productive defending shots, allowing just 1.64 goals per game.

Alabama enters the matchup with an 8-7 record overall and an SEC record of 3-3. The Tide has been productive lately, holding a 5-3 record in its last eight matches. Its most recent match was a 1-0 victory over Mississippi State.

For the Tide, graduate student forward Ashlynn Sereoca has led the scoring and assists with five and three, respectively. Graduate students McKinley Crone and Brooke

Bollinger have each seen time at goal, but Crone looks to be the starter heading into the match with A&M. Guerrieri said Alabama deserves words of praise for its coaching and execution styles.

He also said the Aggies need to be prepared for a tough opponent as they fight to get back in the win column.

“Alabama has always been a tough team for us to play against,’’ Guerrieri said. “It’s one of the teams that we’ve lost to in the past.

We have a pretty good winning record over them all-time, and we beat them last year in Tuscaloosa. It’s still going to be a challenge.

They’re well coached, and they’re really well organized, so they give you some unique challenges.”

The matchup is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday Oct. 15, at Ellis Field in College Station.

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Coming full circle

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

So far in the junior’s campaign, tight end Jalen Wydermyer has recorded a total of 18 receptions and 249 receiving yards across six games. Wydermyer leads Texas A&M tight ends in alltime touchdowns with 14.

After a 2019 loss to Alabama at Kyle Field, Jalen Wydermyer redeemed himself at historic win against No. 1 Crimson Tide

By Ryan Faulkner @ryanfaulk03

L

ife’s successes are often a precursor of greater things to come.

Within the Texas A&M football program, junior tight end Jalen Wydermyer has experienced this firsthand.

After graduating from Dickinson High School in 2019, Wydermyer found immediate influence on the maroon and white squad, playing in all 13 of A&M’s games as a freshman.

But the 2019 season was just the start.

Going into college, Wydermyer said he placed special emphasis on trusting himself and his abilities as a Division I athlete. This ultimately led to him breaking down barriers and overcoming obstacles in life, he said.

“That’s all that matters with young players — confidence,” Wydermyer said. “Once you have all of the right confidence, the sky is the limit.”

But not everyone gets to choose the timeline over which they develop that mindset.

According to A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, athletes are often forced to “step up” at unexpected times. A player’s ability to “rise to the occasion” can ultimately make or break a

young athletic career.

“That’s football,” Fisher said. “You don’t know when those times are going to come.”

Wydermyer’s calling came in the fall of 2019 against a team which has made headlines in recent days: Nick Saban’s then-No. 1 Alabama. Even in A&M’s 47-28 defeat two years ago, Wydermyer had a career showing, picking up 49 yards and two touchdowns on just three receptions.

The tight end said that as a child, he never expected to play against a Southeastern Conference powerhouse like Alabama. Wydermyer said he prepared himself for the rest of his college career by gaining experience against the Crimson Tide. The game also acted as his “breakout performance,” Wydermyer said.

“That’s when I said, ‘I can play in this league,’” Wydermyer said. “It was hard; I’m not going to lie. The more games you get into, the harder the opponents but the more acclimated you get.”

At the time, this was especially critical. The 2019 football program was uncharacteristically experienced, with several key figures — including Braden Mann, Justin Madubuike and Quartney Davis — set to leave the team. Because of the impending departures — most notably four-year quarterback Kellen Mond — threatening to do the same in a year’s time, Wydermyer’s ability to succeed as an underclassmen stood as a beacon of hope for the maroon and white.

Fisher said this put the tight end under extreme pressure as both a student and an athlete.

Wydermyer’s first two years with the Aggies gave him the perfect opportunity to develop

and “find himself,” thus bettering A&M in its entirety.

“There are high expectations for Jalen [Wydermyer], and sometimes you get caught in the numbers,” Fisher said. “But Jalen is an outstanding player. He’s learning to deal with success and failures, highs and lows, expectations, things that go on. He’s really gotten better and better.”

With his place as a starter solidified, Wydermyer has certainly tackled the issue head-on.

As of presstime, he has notched 96 career receptions for 14 touchdowns and 1,202 yards.

The two-time SEC-accoladed athlete and 2020 John Mackey Award finalist currently holds the most receiving touchdowns by any tight end in program history and ranks fourth for receiving yards at any position.

Even still, Wydermyer said he believes himself to be on the cusp of greatness. Using his proven athletic talent should open opportunities for the Aggies to further succeed as a team, he said.

“We’re as close as somebody making a wrong step or wrong read,” Wydermyer said after A&M’s loss to Mississippi State on Oct. 2. “When we put them together, you see big runs. If we can knock out the little things and get it all right, we can be successful.”

Fisher echoed a similar sentiment, saying this concept applies to the program as a whole.

“When you’re playing in SEC competition, it all comes down to one or two plays,” Fisher said. “You have to be able to make those and execute at key times.”

For Wydermyer, his “key time” couldn’t have come in a more perfect moment. On

Oct. 9, 2021, Wydermyer was given a shot at redemption: the chance to finally avenge A&M’s loss to Alabama at Kyle Field two years earlier. And this time, he succeeded.

A 27-yard pass from redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada in the first quarter gave Wydermyer his first touchdown of the night en route to a 73-yard performance. This catch not only put A&M up 10-7 over Alabama, it also gave the Aggies momentum necessary to take down the then-undefeated team at home for the first time in program history.

In this way, Wydermyer came full circle.

His “breakout performance” against Alabama two years ago laid the groundwork for an upset likely to live forever in A&M records. Wydermyer said it was these two years of training that allowed him to succeed.

“It’s all about how you respond to adversity,” Wydermyer said. “It really shows your character and your team’s chemistry.”

Now, Wydermyer has proven to the world he is capable of leading football programs of the highest grade. His athletic abilities, paired with a fortified work ethic, opened doors through which the tight end has found success.

With the stage set for the tight end to chase his dream of eventually playing in the NFL, Fisher said Wydermyer’s destiny is in the palm of the tight end’s hand, regardless of the highs or lows experienced by A&M football.

“Things are never as good as they seem or as bad as they seem,” Fisher said. “If things are going to change, you have to change them.”