The Battalion — December 6, 2021

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2021 STUDENT MEDIA

Silver Taps TRIBUTES ON PAGE 4

Jeffery Adam Dorrow Bharti Bhagu Shahani Nov. 19, 1999 - July 28, 2021 July 26, 1999 — Nov. 10, 2021

CONGRATS GRADS A&M ceremonies return to Reed Arena with no guest limitations

Photo courtesy of Latinx Graduation Ceremony

Texas A&M continues to improve in its mission to serve all Texans.

A&M named Hispanic-Serving Institution Hispanic, Latinx students comment on new university distinction

By Nathan Varnell & Aubrey Vogel @newsncv & @aubrey_vogel

will be mailed to students at their designated address.

Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Timothy P. Scott, Class of 1989, said in a note to The Battalion the university is proud to award so many degrees despite the setbacks of a pandemic.

“The upcoming holiday season will be especially meaningful as we congratulate

After years of hosting a growing Hispanic population, Texas A&M has received recognition as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, or HSI. The Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities, or HACU, officially recognized A&M on Nov. 30 as an HSI. Currently representing almost 600 institutions, the HACU defines an HSI as “colleges, universities or systems/districts where total Hispanic enrollment constitutes a minimum of 25% of the total enrollment,” according to the HACU’s bylaws posted on its official website.

The distinction has served to show the growth of a more diverse student body. Although the designation does not yet confer federal benefits, several Hispanic and Latinx student leaders and former students, including Hispanic Presidents’ Council President and international studies senior Alexia Hernandez, said it is a step in the right direction for both students in Aggieland and Hispanic people at large in Texas.

“I am incredibly overjoyed, and it’s definitely a long time coming,” Hernandez said in an email to The Battalion. “Hispanic populations in Texas have proven to be a major influence in Texan history, culture, economy and the community — now we are making our mark as scholars and educated members of society,

GRADUATION ON PG. 2

HSI REACTIONS ON PG. 2

Robert O’Brien— THE BATTALION

For the first time since the fall of 2019, there will be a restriction-free graduation ceremony at full capacity in Reed Arena.

By Aubrey Vogel @aubrey_vogel

T

exas A&M graduates will once again walk the stage in Reed Arena with no COVID-19 guest restrictions.

After two years of postponed or limited graduations, mask and social distancing requirements and a location change

to Kyle Field, 5,504 Texas A&M graduates will gather with family and friends at seven larger, combined fall graduation ceremonies in the traditional Reed Arena venue between Dec. 17-18.

In a note to The Battalion, A&M officials said graduates and their guests will be asked to exit the ceremony after walking the stage. Graduates will cross the stage and receive a diploma tube, though their diploma

So long, seniors Graduates reflect on time at A&M, prepare for post-graduation plans

By Kathryn Miller @KathrynMiller0

senior Manny Acosta.

Growing up with the Aggie Spirit around him, Manny knew he was destined to attend A&M, just as his parents and other family members had. However, Manny showed his true Aggie Spirit during his junior year of college by donating his kidney to his younger brother, Marcus, after he

As students wrap up their final presentations, projects and exams before the holidays, December graduates are getting ready to walk the stage.

December commencement will take place on Friday, Dec. 17 and Saturday, Dec. 18 in Reed Arena for bachelor’s recipients. This will be the first graduation since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic without virtual ceremonies. English senior Stephanie Mackel said, as a member of the Class of 2023 who is graduating early, she feels she missed out on a lot in college since a majority of her classes as an undergraduate were spent online due to COVID-19.

“I ended up doing dual enrollment [in high school], so I’m graduating a lot earlier than the rest of my class,” Mackel said. “But the time I did get to spend here, I had a lot of fun. Now, it’s time for my next step.”

Mackel said what she is going to miss is living in the environment of a college town.

“It’s so different from post-grad[uate] because it’s so easy to meet people here,” Mackel said. “I think that’s just what I’m gonna miss the most. It is so easy to meet people my age.”

ACOSTA FEATURE ON PG. 5

REFLECTING ON PG. 5

Provided

Agriculture economics senior Manny Acosta has taken Selfless Service to heart.

Living out Core Values Graduating senior has embodied Aggie Spirit throughout college

By Aubrey Vogel @aubrey_vogel The Texas A&M Core Values took on a new meaning for agriculture economics

Provided

Psychology senior Giselle Deleon looks back on her college experience.

ridehitch.com

No car? No problem.

Hitch offers private and shared rides from Aggieland to Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and more.

First ride is free! CODE: AGSWIN5

NEWS

2

The Battalion | 12.6.21

GRADUATION CONTINUED thousands of new Aggie graduates on their well-earned degrees,” Scott said. “We celebrate their achievements, even more so in light of the global pandemic. Congratulations to each graduate and their friends and family.”

Although it is not required, A&M officials said in the note they advise the use of face coverings for all attendees of the ceremonies and encourage COVID-19 testing prior to the attendance of an in-person ceremony. For those who are unable to attend, the ceremony will be broadcasted by KAMU-TV. Recreation, parks and tourism sciences senior Peyton Liebler said he is looking forward to celebrating with his friends, family and classmates in Reed Arena without having to pick and choose who would get to attend the ceremony in person.

“After seeing how graduations have happened over the past few semesters and talking to a lot of friends [who] were graduating during the semesters, it was kind of tough seeing how everything was proceeding where they were trying to make amends [to] adhere to those guidelines,” Liebler said. “I’m very grateful that things are on a good upward

HSI REACTIONS CONTINUED emerging from the best university in Texas.”

The designation shows the Hispanic community is one of the fastest-growing minority populations to pursue higher education, Hernandez said.

“Many of us are first-generation college students, and a college degree can change the entire trajectory of a family’s career aspirations and financial success for years to come,” Hernandez said. “With a degree from Texas A&M University, we have the power to change the world, uplift our communities and build generational wealth.”

The HSI recognition by the HACU is a step toward Title V federal recognition, which includes funding that can be used to enhance the college experience for minority students, Carlo Chunga Pizzaro, Class of 2019, said in a comment to The Battalion.

“When federal recognition happens, the university will need to critically think about where that funding will be used,” Pizzaro said.

“There isn’t a comprehensive answer, but it

slope, where I’ll be able to invite my family members, and any of those that don’t feel safe at that time would be able to mask up or at the same time stream it through … [KAMU-TV].

So I’m very grateful that there’s going to be options available.”

With the return to in-person classes, psychology senior Emilee Allis said she was grateful to return to campus for her final semester after only one normal semester before going virtual when coming to A&M as a transfer student from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. “[My favorite part of coming back to campus was] being able to interact with everybody again. Everybody here is so nice,” Allis said.

“That was one of the reasons why I actually wanted to come to A&M, being able to experience all the traditions again, getting to go to football games and just doing everything that A&M really stands for.”

Being an out-of-state student, Allis said her family is going to virtually celebrate with members who cannot make the journey to College Station.

“After graduation, I’m gonna meet up with people who come in [and] friends, too. We’re going to take pictures and go to lunch, and my family planned to set up a little FaceTime

thing so I can talk to everybody after graduation,” Allis said.

Graduating with her undergraduate degree in spring of 2020, human resources management master’s student Emilee Hatfield said she is excited to get to walk the stage for her master’s with her graduating class.

“It’s really nice that all the families will be able to gather and I’ll be able to graduate with all my classmates,” Hatfield said. “It’ll be a really … special day for all the graduates and their families.”

Although she attended the make-up graduation for her bachelor’s degree, Hatfield said she is looking forward to having a more traditional ceremony.

“It was nice [of] A&M to make that effort to make up for the graduation that everyone [had] to miss in 2020. I feel like it just wasn’t the same, especially because not everyone was able to come back,” Hatfield said. “I’m excited that everyone will be there for the December graduation, and I’ll be able to walk next to my best friends and all my close classmates.”

Experiencing a majority of her college career on campus, Hatfield said she was excited to connect more with classmates during her last semester.

“One of the biggest challenges with the pandemic was returning back to the in-person [classes] and navigating the Zoom environment,” Hatfield said. “This semester, and even last semester, returning to that normalcy made a big difference and made it easier to close this chapter on a good note.”

Experiencing his last semester in person, Liebler said he enjoyed getting to spend time with his fellow students on campus since he spent a majority of his college years online due to the pandemic.

“I’m really looking forward to the idea that I’m going to have the opportunity to celebrate not only what my degree has offered, and the classes and the effort that I put into that, but [also] the immense historical significance that we’ve all gone through these past few years,” Liebler said. “I’m going to be celebrating the unprecedented times that all of us have gone through while also celebrating a time again.

The entire idea of graduation is looking toward the future and commencement routing in the word that it’s commencing the beginning.”

certainly cannot be thrown at one office.

The university needs to identify the needs of Latine [or Latinx] students as they transition to [A&M], and many steps need to be taken in the area of retention.”

Title V of the Higher Education Act provides financial support for institutions where Hispanic students make up a minimum of 25% of the total enrollment in addition to 50% of those eligible for federal student aid, according to the HACU. Approximately 22% of A&M’s Hispanic student population is currently considered Pell Grant-eligible, according to Texas A&M Today.

The grants from this program are intended to “assist HSIs to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the attainment of, Hispanic students,” according to the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

Pizzaro said the key to obtaining the federal designation for A&M is the retention, not just recruitment, of Hispanic students.

“Students don’t stay where they don’t find community within their first few semesters.

They will leave if they do not feel welcomed,” Pizzaro said. “The answer is not straightforward, but connecting incoming students to current students and exposing them to their affinity group organization quickly upon arrival is how we can help ensure people find their home away from home in Aggieland.”

With the growing number of Hispanic students on campus, Hernandez said she can see growing support for the population through various resources on campus including the Department of Multicultural Services and its programs, the Texas A&M Hispanic Network and student-led incentives.

MSC CAMAC and MSC SCOLA marketing director and environmental design junior Maya Rubio said in an email to The Battalion that the increase in minority student population calls for an increase in events like Bienvenidos A Aggieland.

“Having a designated event similar to this with all ethnic and cultural committees at Texas A&M, I believe, would be a great learning experience for those with different

backgrounds and a great networking opportunity for students looking to join organizations that represent their cultures,” Rubio said in the email. “The university has been pushing diversity to be a pillar of Aggie values, and I believe we are headed in the right direction to make that happen.”

A big drive in having more-diverse organizations and events has been the students’ dedication to have a more representative campus, Hernandez said.

“Students are the main drivers of why Texas A&M has received this designation from HACU — we create inclusive communities and foster positive student experiences on campus,” Hernandez said in the email. “Often, our efforts to support our community are thankless or unnamed. Texas A&M has done a good job supporting us so far, but I believe including student voices in vital, decision-making conversations on an administrative level regarding diversity and inclusion on campus is essential to truly serve Hispanic students on campus.”

LET’S BE FRIENDS @THEBATTONLINE

THE BATTALION

@THEBATTONLINE

@THEBATTONLINE

Senior Boot Bag

How does the Texas A&M Foundation support students?

In more ways than you might realize. In fiscal year 2020 alone, we helped former students and friends of the university establish 306 new endowed scholarships and graduate fellowships that will support Aggies for generations. During the 2021-2022 academic year, more than 9,000 current students are benefiting from scholarships created through the Foundation. We also help fundraise for student organizations, college-based programs and study abroad initiatives to make every Aggie experience one worth cherishing.

Learn more at txamfoundation.com.

Price Includes Embroidered Logo and Name (More logos available) Shop for Little Aggies for an Aggie Xmas etsy.com/shop/aggiesandbows

by Charlotte, Reveille’s Seamstress Aggie Mom & Grandma For A&M Sterling Jewelry: stores.ebay.com/charboeg979

1711 N Earl Rudder Fwy Bryan, TX 77803 979-778-2293 | charboeg@yahoo.com

NOW IS THE TIME to pre-order your copy of the

2022AGGIELAND A photojournalistic record of the 2021-2022 school year. The 120th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook. Distribution will be Summer or Fall 2022.

Go Online to tx.ag/BuyTheAggieland or call 979-845-2697 to make your purchase.

It’s only $81.19 (Includes Tax & Shipping Fee)

OLDER AGGIELANDS

You can order past Aggielands at tx.ag/BuyTheAggieland.

All proceeds from sales go back to the students in some way and keep alive this Texas A&M tradition that was started in 1895.

NEWS

3

A SEMESTER IN REVIEW

The Battalion | 12.6.21

As Aggies readjusted to full in-person learning for the first time in two years, The Battalion was busy covering the biggest news from Aggieland. Here is a recap of the content produced by The Battalion this fall.

Power, positivity, progress

Fraternity sued for $1M

Gabrielle Shreve — THE BATTALION

FILE

For the first time in university history, the Student Government Association’s first entirely women-led leadership team took office, made up of Student Body President Natalie Parks, Speaker of the Student Senate Iman Ahmed and Judicial Court Chief Justice Karissa McIntosh.

Two Texas A&M students, Patrick Close and Jose Figueroa, sued the A&M chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity after they received chemical burns and permanent disfigurement as a result of hazing during the spring 2021 semester. A&M suspended the organization as of Oct. 27 for two years, to be followed by a two-year probationary period.

Kyle Field honors 9/11

Ciao, Antonio’s

Ishika Samant — THE BATTALION

Abbey Santoro — THE BATTALION

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, fans turned out in patriotic colors at the first home game of the season against Kent State on Sept. 4 to recreate a red, white and blue Kyle Field.

Aggieland favorite, Antonio’s Pizza by the Slice, officially closed its doors as of Nov. 6. Current and former students shared their disappointment to The Battalion and on social media, including university studies senior Jessica Moreno and nursing senior Astrid Torres Johnson, who placed a memorial outside of the Northgate staple.

Shuffling A&M’s deck

Gaines’ legacy: Cast forever

FILE

Melanie McBride — THE BATTALION

University President M. Katherine Banks released the results of the MGT of American Consulting report on Oct. 25, which proposed many significant changes to the university’s structure. Potential changes include a merging of the colleges of Liberal Arts, Science and Geosciences, and suggested administrative oversight on student organizations such as Fish Camp.

The long-awaited statue of A&M founder and former Texas Sen. Matthew Gaines was unveiled on campus on Nov. 19. The statue was years in the making by the Matthew Gaines Society.

ADVISE TX IS NOW HIRING IN HOUSTON!

COLLEGE RECRUITMENT ADVISOR TAMU GRADUATES, DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS, BY HELPING THEM APPLY TO COLLEGE? APPLY NOW AT JOBS.TAMU.EDU! For more Information contact us at 979-458-0985 or email advisetx@tamu.edu

SILVERTAPS

4

The Battalion |12.6.21

Silver Taps Nov. 19, 1999 — July 28, 2021

JEFFERY ADAM DORROW A perfect embodiment of the Aggie Spirit

By Sam Somogye @samsomogye

J

effery “Adam” Dorrow always greeted people with a smile, firm handshake or hug.

Despite being born and raised in the small river town of New Braunfels, Adam had a larger-than-life personality.

Adam was someone who cared deeply about his friends and family, especially his little brothers and best friends, Luke and Nick. He kept them close and protected them at all costs, Adam’s father, Jeff, said.

At the age of seven, Adam experienced something no child should ever have to endure when his mother, Karen, died.

After this tragedy, he took his role of big brother even more seriously and became his brothers’ confidant and friend, while serving as a helping hand to his father.

While Adam wasn’t the biggest or tallest person, he more than made up for his stature with his confidence and positive attitude, Luke said. He knew who he was and always stayed true to himself, which is one of many reasons why people were always so drawn to Adam.

If there was ever work to be done, Adam was the guy people could count on.

“Adam loved working with his hands to build things,” Jeff said. “[He] was always there to lead the charge to get things done if there was work to be done.”

PROVIDED

Business senior Adam Dorrow will be honored at the Dec. 7 Silver Taps ceremony in Academic Plaza at 10:30 p.m.

Adam was an involved member of his fraternity at Texas A&M, Delta Tau Delta. Luke, who is also a member of Delta Tau Delta, said his fraternity brothers remember Adam as someone who would always pick them up when they were down, always took a genuine interest in what others had going on in their lives and brought a light to the chapter like no one else. Luke said Adam cherished being an Aggie Delt, and his fraternity brothers loved him.

Adam’s dad said Adam frequently talked about how he

loved being an Aggie, just about as much as anything else in his life. Even at an early age, he was singing songs often played in Kyle Field.

“I would take Adam and his brother Luke to daycare every morning on my way to work,” Jeff said. “I had a CD in the car that Adam played every day, rain or shine.

“Both boys would sing every word to Alabama’s song, ‘If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band).’ The song became as big a piece of our day-to-day routine as brushing teeth or getting dressed. We almost wore that CD out over the years, and it still brings back sweet memories every time I hear that song.”

As a student in Mays, Adam was a businessman at his core, his dad said, and dreamed of owning his own company one day, which most definitely would have been wildly successful due to his wit and business savvy personality.

Overall, he loved and cared deeply for the people in his life.

One specific attribute of Adam that stood out was his loyalty and positive outlook on life, Luke said.

“He could be doing the worst thing in the world, and he’d always have a good attitude about it,” Luke said. “He used to be a plumber when we went back home, and he hated it so much. But he’d still work at it everyday and would actually enjoy the people he was with, even though he never knew them.”

Adam is remembered by every person he met in the most positive of lights. He’s remembered for his smile. He’s remembered for being unapologetically, well, Adam. And, of course, he’s remembered for his “perfect hair,” his dad said.

July 26, 1999 — Nov. 10, 2021

BHARTI BHAGU SHAHANI Relentlessly happy, a friend to all she met Editor’s Note: A Silver Taps tribute article for Bharti Shahani will not be published at this time.

Via GoFundMe

Electronic systems engineering technology senior Bharti Shahani will be honored on Dec. 7.

LIFE&ARTS

5

The Battalion | 12.6.21

REFLECTING CONTINUED When reflecting on her favorite moments in college, Mackel said her Aggie Ring Day was very special because it represented all her hard work as an undergraduate.

“My favorite college memory is a basic one, but it is probably getting my ring,” Mackel said. “It was a super exciting moment for me and my parents.”

Post-graduate plans for Mackel include attending law school next fall. In the meantime, she is going to be staying in College Station and interviewing for jobs.

“My biggest accomplishment at A&M is that I was able to start a student organization … Aggie Minority Women in Law, and I’m super proud of it,” Mackel said. “I feel like I’m leaving something behind. My time here was short, but I still left something that I know is gonna live on longer than the time I was here.”

Psychology senior Giselle Deleon said being active on campus since her freshman year helped her acclimate to A&M and find her

ACOSTA FEATURE CONTINUED was diagnosed with kidney failure.

After Marcus was diagnosed, their father, Louis A. Acosta, Class of 1993, said Manny called to tell him he wanted to get tested to see if he was a match as a donor. Though Louis was surprised, Manny insisted he go through with the testing to be able to serve as a possible donor for Marcus.

“I knew my brother needed me,” Manny said. “It’s just something you do. In my opinion, you never leave your family hanging.”

While in his sales class in the fall of 2019, Manny said he remembered exactly when he got the call saying he was a match for his brother. He immediately called his father to share the news.

“We’ve got a very strict ‘no cell phone’ policy [in my sales class] and very strict ‘don’t leave the room’ [policy], so when I took out my phone, got on my phone and left the room, they were grilling me after class,” Manny said.

“I remember stepping out back behind in the breezeway in the building, and I was ecstatic.”

The same weekend, Manny flew to Florida to tell his brother and get his second round of testing done to make sure he was healthy enough for the surgery.

“It was supposed to be three days of testing,” Manny said. “I said, ‘Listen, I’ve got class; I can’t do that. I’m coming from out of state. Talk to everybody to see if we can get it down to one day,’ so I did 13 hours of testing in one day.”

community.

“I’m a [first-generation student], so getting to come to a top-tier research institution far from home was definitely a little bit challenging at first,” Deleon said. “But I found my way. I got really involved my freshman year.

I’ve been in research, I’ve worked with the Office of Admissions and I’ve gotten to study abroad, so my time here has been great.”

Deleon said after she graduates, she will miss the sense of community and family at A&M. “The opportunities that I’ve gotten here and the people I’ve met here, it’s been surreal,” Deleon said. “I think that I’m just going to miss how homey I feel here and how Aggies help Aggies.”

Deleon said her favorite memory in college was the opportunity to study abroad and visit five different countries in five weeks.

“I love to talk about [study abroad], especially since I work with Admissions,” Deleon said. “Every time we have prospective students come out, I talk to them about all the opportunities A&M has for them and how we’re the No. 1-leading university for study

abroad.”

Deleon said after graduation, she is planning to obtain a Ph.D. in clinical psychology to do research in academia and eventually open her own private practice down the road.

Although her time at A&M is coming to a close, Deleon said she reflects fondly on her experiences.

“You get what you put in, and my time at A&M has been great because of the time that I’ve took to join [organizations] and meet people. I’ve loved my time here,” Deleon said.

University studies architecture senior Haleigh Copeland said her time at A&M has been fulfilling and has given her more than she could have asked for.

“I came from Colorado, so I didn’t know what to expect because I was going to go through such a big change,” Copeland said.

“I’m a fourth-generation Aggie. My dad, my grandfather and my great-grandfather all went to A&M, and I have a bunch of other family that have gone here. I had never been away from my family, but I always knew I wanted to come here.”

Game days at Kyle Field were her favorite part of her experience in Aggieland, Copeland said.

“Since I’m Class of 2022, I was able to go to both LSU in 2018 and the ‘Bama game my senior year — the two big upsets,” Copeland said. “It was a good way to start and end my time at A&M.” In the spring, Copeland said she is planning to continue working the two jobs she currently has and is shooting for an internship in the construction industry by the summer. Her advice for prospective and current students, Copeland said, is to never take anything at A&M for granted.

“It’s just different at A&M,” Copeland said. “I’ve always had people tell me, like my friends from high school that go to other schools, ‘Wow, I wish we have these kind of traditions. That’s so cool; our school doesn’t do that,’ and I’ve always been like, ‘Yeah, you know what, you’re right. This is really cool.’

A&M is something special that I wish everyone could experience.”

Louis said after they told the family about the match, Marcus asked for the donation to be kept a secret from everyone besides immediate family. “[Manny said,] ‘I don’t want anybody to know, because I don’t want this to become about me. I want this to be about my brother, Marcus,’” Louis said. “So I was sworn to secrecy; only the doctors knew the donor.”

Marcus said he is thankful for the selflessness of Manny and is grateful for his sacrifice in helping him to recover in such a fast manner.

“When they told me there that he was a match, I was just amazed,” Marcus said. “I didn’t think that I was going to be able to get out of that situation so quickly like that, but with his help, they moved as fast as they could to get done.”

The family planned the transplant surgery during spring break of 2020 at Manny’s request because he was adamant at getting back to College Station to get back to class as soon as possible.

“In my mind, I was going to get the surgery on Monday, recover at the hospital until Friday, then go to my parents house, recover till Wednesday or Thursday, and then fly back home,” Manny said. “[I planned to] finish out recovery [in College Station] and get right back to class. I wasn’t going to waste time.

I wanted to spend as little time away from campus as possible.”

It was only a few days after surgery that spring break was extended indefinitely due to the heightened risk of COVID-19 in the

United States. Since he did not need to return to campus with the move to online learning, Manny was able to recover at home alongside his brother.

“After something like that, you’re going to stay home no matter what,” Manny said.

“Luckily for us, once I recovered a little bit more, my dad and I went hunting like every day at our lease in Cocoa Beach.”

With Manny’s selfless action, Marcus has now recovered and is attending community college. Marcus said Manny’s decision shows just how much he cares about those around him. “[Manny is someone] you can count on.

He’s not going to leave you out there on the side of the road,” Marcus said. “He will always come and help you, and, if he can’t, he’ll do what he can to get you help if he can’t help himself.”

Louis said he could not be more proud of Manny for overcoming all obstacles thrown his way during his college years with his brother being sick, recovering from surgery and enduring the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a father, there’s nothing more gratifying to see one of your offspring, my firstborn son, carrying the [family] name, be the first one of my offspring to go to college, and to get a degree from a university like Texas A&M,” Louis said.

After the online semester, Manny was able to return to campus in the fall for the hybrid semester, though he said he was happy to see classes go back to normal for his final semester

in Aggieland.

During his last semester, Manny joined the Texas A&M Collegiate Sales Competition sponsored by Reynold and Reynolds, where approximately 100 students compete in a sales objective. Though he was not a finalist in the competition, his participation opened up a job opportunity for him with biotech company Amgen on the cardiovascular team, which he will begin pursuing in January in Austin.

“I’m looking forward to helping these doctors improve patients’ lives beautifully,” Manny said. “For me, it’s about helping people out.”

Additionally, Manny was given the opportunity to serve as a keynote speaker for the Weston Agri-Food sales summit in November.

“I love the program, and for me, this was a way to give back to the program in a small way,” Manny said. “It was great to be able to stand up in front of my peers and share my story for the first time.”

Manny said he plans to continue to exhibit the Aggie Core Values and Honor Code both in his work as a medical salesman and as a person overall.

“It’s all about ethics. I can’t sell a product I can’t get behind,” Manny said. “If I know the product is for some reason unsafe or dangerous or not as advertised, I won’t sell it because that’s not right. As an Aggie, I won’t do that.”

Suicide Awareness & Prevention Office COUNSELING & PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

SEPTEMBER IS SUICIDE AWARENESS MONTH

Get Involved!

caps.tamu.edu/NotAnotherAggie

SWANSONGS

6

The Battalion | 12.6.21

Finding myself, in journalism and beyond

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Assistant sports editor Ryan Faulkner is graduating at 9 a.m. on Dec. 18 in Reed Arena.

Ryan Faulkner @ryanfaulk03

N

ot a day goes by that I’m not utterly dumbfounded by how quickly time passes and by how sporadically life changes within that span.

I’ve been at Texas A&M since fall 2019, and yes, I know I’m probably crazy for graduating from college in five semesters. If I’m being honest, that’s a choice I regret more every single day as Dec. 18 slowly draws nearer; I can’t help but feel as though my time in Aggieland isn’t meant to end quite yet. But here we are regardless, so I’ll be damned if I don’t find the good in this whole thing, from start to finish.

When I started my freshman year, I was an honors engineering major with

aspirations of one day earning a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering. My wide-eyed, easily impressionable self lasted a whole three months in Zachry before I realized math and science were simply not subjects about which I was passionate, so I decided to leave the program — and before the naysayers jump into the comments to claim I switched because I wasn’t good enough, it should be noted I kept a 4.0 GPA throughout that time, which I still hold today. Yes, I’m not-so-subtly bragging on myself. Sue me; everyone deserves the opportunity to showcase some self-confidence every once in a while.

Anyway, law school became my eventual replacement end-goal, and I began searching for a new academic path to get me to that point. I settled on journalism because I thought it would be easy and require little effort to fly through my

classes.

Boy, was I wrong.

For all the non-journalistic folks that read The Battalion, I have two things to say to you. First, thank you for supporting student journalism; it’s not possible without people like you. Second, you would not believe how much more goes into this field of work than people even realize.

As a sports reporter and editor, people assume I go to football games, throw something into Google Docs and post to the newspaper’s website without much extra thought, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Doing my job means 12-hour shifts in the newsroom until 2 a.m. It means taking the time out of my academic schedule to meet with players and coaches of various NCAA programs every single week to build rapport with the teams. It means somehow finding a way to pull 2,000-word longforms out of press conferences in which I was only allowed to ask one single question.

Journalism is hard, and when I changed majors, I truly had no idea what I was walking into.

But here’s the thing: That’s the most amazing aspect of this entire experience.

I’m not entirely sure why I was allowed to join The Battalion as an editor after learning AP Style less than a month earlier, but hey, it worked out OK! This newspaper helped me grow and develop as a person, and I hope the same can be said about me helping The Battalion improve as well.

To make this rapid development even more pronounced, it should be noted that when I switched out of engineering, I was still a half-closeted, small-town kid ashamed of even being myself. Now, I’ve never been more proud to be open about my sexuality while working in the sports industry.

That’s such a strange combination, isn’t it? My parents — to whom I look up more than anyone else in this world, by the way — never fail to make fun of my contrarian tendencies, so I suppose this was just meant to be.

And because I’ve been with The Battalion long enough, I already know what the Facebook comments are going

to look like under this article. “Why does he feel the need to mention his sexuality?” Well, find me more than a handful of LGBTQ+ sports reporters or analysts for ESPN or other major sports broadcasting companies. Representation matters, so until something changes, I’m going to use my platform as an opportunity to advocate for my brothers and sisters discouraged by an industry constantly telling them they don’t belong.

Plot twist: They do. And so do I. So, to The Battalion: Thank you for changing the trajectory of my entire life — for allowing me to be myself while remaining involved in a field about which I am extremely passionate. A year ago, I didn’t know what it meant to be so deeply enthralled by something that I’d want to pursue it for the rest of my life. Now, I do.

To my parents, brothers and family: Thank you for supporting me through my college experience, even if it sucks to drive through five hours-worth of empty fields and two-lane roads just to visit me a time or two every semester. I love y’all, and I’m who I am today because of you. Regardless of what comes next in my life, I am first and foremost your oldest son, your big brother and your biggest supporter.

To the friends I’ve made at A&M, both through The Battalion as well as my four other student organizations: Please know that you’ll be the people about whom I tell my future children as I tuck them into bed when they ask about my past. My memories with all of you are irreplaceable. And as for those organizations — Fish Camp, FLASH, SLAM, TANSA — you gave me my best friends in the world. There are no words to describe my true gratitude.

I’m already over my maximum word count — a fact which should be unsurprising to the people who consistently follow along with my writing — so I need to wrap this thing up. But before I go, for the final time: Gig ‘em, God bless and please, support student journalism.

Ryan Faulkner is a journalism senior and assistant sports editor for The Battalion.

I’m thankful for such a hard goodbye Sam Somogye

I

@samsomogye

f you would have told me five years ago that I would be this torn up writing my last ever column for the student newspaper at Texas A&M, I would have looked at you sideways.

You see, I was never supposed to get to this point for a couple of reasons.

First, I never had any real interest in going to A&M. My brother went to Ole Miss, and since he was my cool older brother, I always had plans of being a Rebel, or is it a Shark? I don’t know what the hell they’re calling themselves nowadays. Anyway, the point is that Oxford, Miss., was supposed to be my next stop upon my high school graduation, not College Station.

Nonetheless, my redass Aggie dad sat down with me and told me we couldn’t swing the out-of-state cost, and that going to Blinn for a year and then A&M was my best option.

Cue the Blinndergarten jokes.

Well, as it turns out, this story is an example of a tale as old as time when a parent really does know best.

I was never supposed to graduate high school on time, or maybe even at all. I had some very troubled days, battling depression from losing my mom to cancer and not quite understanding my relationship with my dad. So, half the time, I just never showed up to class.

This situation led to constant tearful conversations with my high school physics teacher, Mrs. Furitsch, telling me I wasn’t a f*** up and that I was more than capable of doing anything I set my mind to, no matter the circumstances.

It led to my advanced placement government teacher Mrs. Christian never judging me and instilling a love for politics and government that has led to a degree in political science, two U.S. Congressional internships and now a career in political consulting.

It also led to the attendance office hating my guts for the many forged excuse notes, but that’s beside the point!

With a boat load of support, I got my act together and managed to graduate on time. I went to Blinn my freshman year, worked my behind off, and was one of the rare cases of someone who was in and out in exactly one year. I began my sophomore year at A&M, and boy, was I welcomed with open arms.

So much changed so quickly, and my love affair with A&M started almost immediately.

From walking into one of my favor-

ite elective classes, History of Rock and Roll, in a lecture hall with over 300 students, to being in one of my political science classes with only 25 students, I loved every second of it. Well, not my Game Theory class — if you know, you know.

Outside of the classroom, my social life thrived once I joined my fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, where I met my lifelong best friends and made personal connections I could have never dreamed of having.

I also picked up an extracurricular or two, including writing for one of the best college newspapers in the country, and the paper you’re reading right now — The Battalion. Writing for this newspaper has been one of the best parts of my college experience.

This paper gave me the opportunity to bring light to important local issues that were not getting the attention they deserved and also gave me the chance to get deeply personal and talk about issues near and dear to my heart. And, most importantly, I learned how to be the writer I always wanted to be, something I am forever grateful for learning.

To sum it up, A&M always welcomed me as I am. Yes, even when I looked like a psychopath at 2 a.m. getting kicked out of Evans Library.

Leaving shouldn’t be this hard.

I moved to College Station 4 ½ years ago knowing my time as a student was finite. However, the last couple of weeks, I’ve found myself walking on campus, whether it be to the Batt Cave for my last desk meeting or walking out of the tunnels of Kyle Field from my last football game as a student, and I was deeply sad.

I’ll miss the late-night conversations with my best friends after a night out on Northgate, and cramming the night before a test at Evans. I’ll miss the evening strolls in my neighborhood and the sacred tradition of “Frap Fridays” with my roommates from my favorite coffee shop, La Gabriella. I’ll miss tailgating and Saturdays at Kyle Field.

I could write a list of a million other things I will miss, but I think y’all get the point.

This makes me realize just how lucky I am, though. How wonderful is it to have had an experience so magnificent that it’s this hard to say goodbye?

Aggieland, I leave you with this: Thanks and Gig ‘Em — forever.

Sam Somogye is a political science senior and opinion columnist for The Battalion.

PROVIDED

Opinion columnist Sam Somogye is graduating at 9 a.m. on Dec. 18 in Reed Arena.

SPORTS

7

The Battalion | 12.6.21

Varsity’s horns remain intact after Reed Arena matchup

Ishika Samant — THE BATTALION

Graduate guard Destiny Pitts scored in the double digits on Sunday night, but it was not enough for the Aggies as they picked up their first loss of the season from rival Longhorns.

A&M women’s basketball suffers first loss of season to Texas

By Jordan Epp @j_epp22 No. 17 Texas A&M hosted a historic rival in No. 15 Texas at Reed Arena, suffering its first loss of the season at the hands of the Longhorns.

Over the two teams’ last six meetings, A&M has lost five. The Aggies fall to 8-1 after a 76-60 loss at home; Texas improves to 6-1.

The Aggies started hot in the opening quarter, earning a quick 11-3 lead over Texas. Graduate guard Destiny Pitts had three 3-pointers halfway through the first quarter.

The Longhorns fought back, going on an 11-0 run. A buzzer-beating three by freshman guard Rori Harmon put the Longhorns ahead

20-13 at the end of the quarter.

Junior guard Jordan Nixon, who was held scoreless to begin the game, scored seven points for the Aggies in a back-and-forth second quarter. Both teams took turns going on multiple-possession runs, but neither team managed to gain much ground, with the halftime score reading 36-26 in the Longhorns’ favor.

Graduate guard Kayla Wells and junior center Sydnee Roby, who both had quiet first halves for A&M, showed up for the Aggies in the third quarter. Wells had nine points and Roby had eight, with the latter scoring eightstraight points, drawing four fouls and putting two Longhorns into foul trouble.

Despite this, Texas junior guard Aliyah Matharu kept the Longhorns in control, scoring eight points in the third quarter, including two 3-pointers. Texas, up 54-46, maintained its lead heading into the fourth quarter.

“When we’re trying to get back into the games,” Wells said, “We can’t trade baskets with people because it’s still going to be an even margin.”

On the cusp of suffering their first loss, the Aggies needed to go on a run in the fourth quarter, but instead Texas went on an early 9-2 run that killed any A&M momentum.

Matharu continued her dominance, scoring nine points in the fourth quarter. Harmon matched this total, hitting seven of her eight free-throw attempts in the final quarter.

The guards led the way for Texas in a rowdy environment on the road. Matharu finished with a game-high 26 points, and Harmon had 18 points with a game-high nine assists off the bench.

For the Aggies, Roby was the lone player with a positive plus-minus, scoring a season-high 16 points in just 19 minutes of action.

Two other Aggies, Pitts and Wells, scored in

double digits, but both found themselves in foul trouble in the second half.

The Aggies’ struggles stemmed from their turnovers and 3-point shooting. A&M had 19 turnovers that led to Texas scoring 32 points off turnovers. The Longhorns only turned the ball over seven times, none of which resulted in quick buckets for the Aggies. In addition, the Aggies shot only 29% behind the arc despite being known as a strong 3-point shooting team.

“We continued to shoot threes instead of finding other ways to score,” coach Gary Blair said.

The Aggies’ next game will take place on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. when they host Texas Southern.

Editor’s note: Junior guard Jordan Nixon is an opinion writer for The Battalion.

A&M to play in TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

By Jordan Epp @j_epp22 After an up-and-down regular season of Texas A&M football, the Aggies are set to make their 13th-consecutive bowl game appearance.

No. 23 A&M will play against No. 20 Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. A&M has made a postseason appearance every season under coach Jimbo Fisher.

“We are excited about going to Florida to play in the Gator Bowl,” Fisher said. “Wake Forest is an outstanding opponent, and our players will have the opportunity to play in another pro stadium. Our group of seniors will be looking to win their fourth consecutive bowl, and we look forward to the challenge.”

A&M finished its season with a record of 8-4. The Aggies started their year ranked in the top 10, but found themselves unranked after back-to-back losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State.

The Aggies rebounded with a victory over the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, the beginning to a four-game winning streak. Despite the hot stretch, A&M dropped two of its last three games and finished fourth in the SEC West.

The Demon Deacons are 10-3, with their most recent loss coming in the ACC Championship to No. 13 Pittsburgh.

This is just the second time the two teams will face off against each other. Their lone matchup came in 2017 when Wake Forest narrowly defeated A&M, 55-52.

The game will take place on Friday, Dec. 31, with kickoff set for 10 a.m.

Central Standard Time.

“We are always honored to accept a postseason invitation, and we are proud and excited to continue our season in the prestigious Gator Bowl,” A&M Director of Athletics Ross Bjork said.

“Our fans are thrilled about traveling to Jacksonville to support our players and have an amazing bowl experience.

This is the fifth bowl game in the state of Florida in the history of our program, so the 12th Man is eager to make the return. On behalf of our entire program, we are looking forward to the chance to play Wake Forest in the home of the Jaguars.”

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 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

THE BATTALION is published Thursdays during the 2021 fall semester (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center.

News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media,a unit of the Division of StudentAffairs.Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com.

Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising call 979-845-2687. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email: battads@thebatt.com.

Subscriptions: A part of the University Advancement Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1.

HOW TO GET YOUR AGGIE RING IN APRIL 2022:

Check Ring Eligibility: Jan. 1 - Feb. 15 Order Dates: Jan. 5 - Feb. 16 Aggie Ring Day: April 2022 (Delivery date will be set in early January.)

If you meet the requirements after Fall 2021: 1. Login or create an account at AggieNetwork.com beginning Jan. 1 to check your Ring eligibility.

2. In the Aggie Ring tab, click on "Order Your Aggie Ring".

• Follow the steps to customize your Aggie Ring; your eligibility will be checked after this step.

3. If eligible, schedule an appointment to order in person or submit your order online by 5 p.m. on Feb. 16.

4. On your appointment day, visit the Aggie Ring Office to select your Ring size and pay for your Aggie Ring.

• FULL PAYMENT IS DUE AT TIME OF ORDER. • Parking will not be available at the Alumni Center.

With construction underway in Aggie Park, access to the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center is impacted.

The nearest parking for guests is the University Center Garage, adjacent to the John J. Koldus Building. The only public entrance to the Alumni Center is via the sidewalk along Houston Street and through the doors closest to the Haynes Ring Plaza.

• Aggie Ring Loans are available to qualified, currently enrolled students through Scholarships and Financial Aid. Visit AggieNetwork.com/Ring for full details.

Visit tx.ag/RingRequirements for information on eligibility requirements for ordering an Aggie Ring.

The Association of Former Students is HERE for Aggies during their days as students and former students, THERE for Aggies as they make their way around the world and EVERYWHERE that the Aggie Network needs us to be.

Aggie Ring Program at (979) 845-1050 | AggieNetwork.com

OPINION

8

The Battalion | 12.6.21

OPINION Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher denied all rumors that he was taking the position as LSU’s next head coach; former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has instead accepted the role.

Commentary: Left in the dust Sports reporter Jordan Epp says NCAA must end mid-season coaching changes Jordan Epp @j_epp22

“

I’m not going to be the next head coach at LSU. Next question.”

With a head coaching opportunity present in Baton Rouge, La., Lincoln Riley, coach of the Oklahoma Sooners, told reporters he would not be taking the gig after losing to Oklahoma State and narrowly missing out on the Big 12 Championship Game. The Sooners were still a top-15 team in the nation, according to the CFP Rankings, and Oklahoma fans could still look forward to a top-tier bowl game.

“This is going to be the Mecca of college football,” Riley said less than 48 hours later.

Except this time, he was talking about the University of Southern California.

Riley had accepted a head coaching position at USC and was leaving his team before the postseason had even began. And he was taking his coaching staff with him.

Oklahoma defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas tweeted in response: “[Riley] told us that last week.”

Coaches hold a position of unmatched power within a football program, particularly in college. When coaches have a team of 100-or-so players who dedicate themselves to the program, and in turn repay those players with false assurance

and unwarned goodbyes, those coaches need to be held accountable for their actions. A leader doesn’t do that.

The same day coach Riley announced USC as the new college football powerhouse, Nov. 29, Brian Kelly, thencoach of Notre Dame, was hired as the new coach at LSU. Notre Dame was the sixth-ranked team in the nation in the CFP rankings and, according to ESPN’s College Football Power Index, had the fifth-best odds at reaching the College Football Playoff at the time of Kelly’s departure.

It is not unusual for coaching changes to be made before the end of the season, as both Notre Dame and Oklahoma enter the postseason with different head coaches. For example, Billy Napier, the current coach of the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns, agreed to a head coaching role with the Florida Gators before the season’s end.

There are a few key differences between Napier’s situation and Riley and Kelly’s, though. Napier is finishing out his season with the team, including a conference championship and, potentially, the team’s bowl game. As reported by First Coast News, he agreed to delay the announcement until after the coach met with his team.

What’s unusual about the situations for the Sooners and the Fighting Irish is how their coaches seemingly snuck away in the night without offering the same

gratitude Napier did, despite the high stakes both teams are facing.

Oklahoma is not only preparing for a bowl game, but it’s preparing for conference realignment. In 2025, the Sooners will be leaving the Big 12 Conference for the Southeastern Conference. After a half-decade with Riley at the helm, Sooner Nation was looking for some stability as it entered an age of change.

Now, Riley’s departure, which came with no notice, is cracking the thin ice on which the team stands.

Entering tumultuous times, the team was abandoned. Riley leaving on a whim set Oklahoma up for failure, potentially setting the program back for years and damaging it even beyond the need for a new head coach. The Sooners hemorrhaged multiple coaches, current players and their future as a result.

Numerous 4- and 5-star athletes are decommitting from the program, and rightfully so. The team they had originally agreed to join is no longer the one that stands before them. Current players on the Sooners’ roster are also electing to enter the transfer portal, including Spencer Rattler, a pre-season Heisman favorite and the team’s starting quarterback to begin the season. Reportedly, neither the players nor the recruits were given warning by Riley.

Kelly’s move was no better. In a similar fashion to Riley, Kelly did not inform his staff or team ahead of time. His players found out about the hiring on social media before they heard from their own coach. Kelly sent a message to his team apologizing and calling for a meeting to discuss what had happened, but purple and yellow was splattered across his Twitter profile accompanied by a header that read “CALLIN’ BATON ROUGE” minutes before their 7 a.m. meeting — which reportedly lasted all of 11 minutes — had even begun.

The staff was unaware beforehand as well. One report from The Athletic said Kelly “ghosted” his employees, and one of his assistants was leaving a recruit’s home when he first heard the news.

While he did not damage his team as badly in the long term, he may have cost it in the short term. The Fighting Irish are on the outside looking in and, if the chips had fallen in their favor, may have found themselves in the College Football Playoff for the second season in a row.

Now, the team is looking at a Fiesta Bowl appearance, a New Year’s Six game, against Oklahoma State.

According to Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson of The Athletic, after Kelly’s early-morning meeting with the team, he, “took no questions. He didn’t meet with the staff members present. He walked out the door. The room was silent.”

It’s time we held coaches accountable for their actions. No divorce is without its mess, but the people expected to be

leaders of programs, and get paid handsomely for it, need to be better than this.

Rooms full of college students who — quite literally — put their blood, sweat and tears into a team expect leadership, not cowardice.

These coaches brought their players together from various walks of life, many of whom rely heavily on their programs for their livelihoods, yet they are being left in the dust with no warning and no assistance in favor of a check with more digits.

It’s entirely fair for these coaches to seek new opportunities. On the Dan Patrick Show, Kelly said his departure for Louisiana was an effort to seek a new challenge in his life. Riley and Kelly have every right to desire a larger contract or to put themselves in a better situation, as does Napier.

The issue with Riley and Kelly derives from the lack of communication. No athlete should find out from the mouths — or fingers — of social media creators that their coach, for whom they put their body on the line, is leaving them. That should come from the person who made promises to the players as they signed their letters of intent. The absence of notice forces teenagers and 20-year-olds into positions of weakness and uncertainty. The students who could be preparing for final exams must instead, at the last second, prepare to navigate the next stages of their lives.

Even further, Oklahoma, 10-2, and Notre Dame, 11-1, are preparing for some of the biggest games their players may ever play in. While both programs are perennial contenders for major bowl games, and even the College Football Playoff, that does not negate the bowls’ importance to these athletes. Some football players are transfers to the program from smaller schools and could be looking at one of the biggest games of their lives. Some could be seniors, wanting to end their football careers on a strong note. All of them, however, fought to reach the point at which they currently stand, and they shouldn’t have opportunities potentially stolen from them by others’ selfishness.

Social media has compared Riley and Kelly’s departures to players who sit out of these important bowl games, when, in reality, these are incomparable situations. When an athlete sits out of a bowl game, it is an effort to set them and their family up for the future; they avoid risk of injury in order to help themselves and others. When a coach abandons their team during the season, they avoid no risk. The only cost is at the expense of others.

Jordan Epp is a journalism junior and sports reporter for The Battalion.

classifieds see ads at thebatt.com

FOR RENT MALE ROOMMATE needed for 4x4 University Place Condo. Private bath, Washer & Dryer included.

Swimming pool & hot tub. On TAMU school bux route 31 about a mile from A&M and student community near shopping center.

Available NOW, only $350 per month. Please CALL 979-690-8213.

RV HOOK UPS: Two 50 amp and one 30 amp RV space for rent in Bryan. Email Benjamin at brutland@brazoslink.net or call 979-774-9300.

STORAGE UNITS

CLOSE TO CAMPUS. $50 10x10 Call 979-696-4464

HELP WANTED TUTORS WANTED for all subjects taught at Texas A&M, Blinn College and Sam Houston State.

Pay starts at $15 an hour. Apply online at www.99tutors.com. Call 979-255-3655 with questions.

WORK IN CHILD CARE: Part time child care help needed. Apply in person at Fit for Kids Too, 3609 E 29th, Bryan, TX, 77802

thebattalion

For information, call 845-2697

SPECIAL

PRIVATE PARTY WANT ADS

$10 for 20 words running 5 days, if your merchandise is priced $1,000 or less (price must appear in ad). This rate applies only TX A&M The Battalion 12/6/21 Crossword PuzzleJunction.com to non-commercial advertisers offering personal possessions for sale. Guaranteed results or you get an additional 5 days at no charge. If item doesn’t sell, advertiser must call before 1 p.m. on the day the ad is scheduled to end to qualify for the 5 additional insertions at no charge. No refunds will be made if your ad is cancelled early.

Across

HELP WANTED

1 6 10 13

1775 Texas Pit BBQ is looking for enthusiastic, energetic, hard-worker who has flexible hours and is willing to learn. Must work events and Wednesday through Saturday. Approximately 30 hours a week. These are flexible. Please come by 1775 Texas Pit BBQ to fill to application at 8203 Raymond Stotzer Pkwy, College Station. 979-492-6241

14 15 16 17 19 20 22 23 25 27 29

Pepe's Mexican Cafe is an iconic, local, single-location restaurant.

Aggie owned and operated, and run by the same local family for over 50 years in that same location. We are looking for a few Good Ags to help us serve tacos and smiles. No experience necessary. We will work with your schedule. We hire for personality, character, and attitude. You'll need a Texas Food Handler's card (easy to get) and to be reliable.

We offer one week paid vacations after one year and every year, if you average 30 hours per week or more. Not a stiff corporate-culture sort of place, we like to have fun while getting a great job done. If you are an outstanding human, please come help us! - Kip Martin TAMU '86. To apply visit: bit.ly/workatpepes Need help with yard work every Friday for 4 hours. Prefer someone with experience mowing, weed eating, edging and flower bed maintenance. $15.00 per hour.

Call 979.777.0714 to apply.

WEBSITE HELP: Part-time website work on a WordPress site with Equity Real Estate. Apply at 110 Navarro Dr., Suite 200, College Station or call 979-696-4464.

30 32 33 35 37

to todays puzzles

• Easy • Affordable • Effective

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Insertion deadline: 1 p.m. prior business day

ANSWERS

Classified Advertising

WHEN TO CALL

to todays puzzles

Phone 979.845.0569 Suite L400, Memorial Student Center Texas A&M University

ANSWERS

PLACE AN AD

39 40 41 42 43 46 50 52 53 54 56 58 59 61 63

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

14 15 13 Off-the-cuff No-win situation 16 17 18 W.W. II fliers 20 21 22 Swimming briefs 19 (trademark) 23 24 25 26 27 28 Abundant Groove-billed 30 31 32 29 ___ 33 34 35 36 Fireplace part Mingle 37 38 39 Baseball’s Mel Poles, e.g.

40 41 Bars 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Mariner’s aid Zorro’s marks 52 53 50 51 Gusted Actor 54 55 56 57 58 MacLachlan 61 62 59 60 Ming tree Airport posting 63 64 65 Plane reservation Stings 67 68 66 Agree out of Copyright ©2021 PuzzleJunction.com court Dance step 64 “___ Lang Syne” 9 Blubber 38 Type of wind Slants 65 Refines, as ore 10 Some rose bushes 39 Storage medium Humid 66 Sample 11 Sweet liqueur 40 Hit on the head Switch positions 67 Poet Angelou 12 Quandary 44 Recently Wage 68 Sleep disorder 13 Artist’s coverall 45 Docket Inactive 18 Irritation 47 Within reach Falafel bread Down 21 Nitrogen, 48 Sue Lyon title Palm starch previously role Inside info 1 Voters’ problem 24 Staff symbols 49 Long stories School terms, 2 Type of floss 26 Walk 51 Athos, to Porthos briefly 3 Permit nonchalantly 53 After food or Beguile 28 Used to be 4 That is, in Latin rubber Will Smith title 30 Lightweight 5 Cotton capsule 55 Shell game role 6 Strongly woods 57 Tower site Afflicted motivated 31 Prayer leader 59 Harden Like most 7 Salon jobs 34 Quebec seasons 60 Malaysian airport sonnets inits.

8 Away from the 36 Jellied garnish Danger to divers 62 Chess pieces bow 37 Ominous

SPORTS

9

The Battalion | 12.6.21

SEASON RECAP

1

2

4

3

5 1. Ryan Hartfiel 2. Robert O’Brien 3. Abbey Santoro 4. Ishika Samant 5. Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

(From 1-6) Junior wide receiver Ainias Smith jumps over a player during the New Mexico game on Sept. 18; Junior wide receiver Jalen Preston celebrates in the end zone during the LSU game on Nov. 27; Smith evading a defender during the Kent State game on Sept. 4; Junior running back Isaiah Spiller breaking a tackle during the Prairie View A&M game on Nov. 20; Junior tight end Jalen Wydermyer catches a touchdown pass during the Mississippi State game on Oct. 2.

GET AHEAD on your degree plan with Blinn College’s

WINTER MINIMESTER

Classes run Dec. 20-23, JAN. 3-11 . FINAL EXAMS JAN.12

WINTER

The following courses are available during the winter minimester: BLINN COURSE

TAMU COURSE

BLINN COURSE

TAMU COURSE

ACCT 2301: Principles of Accounting I

ACCT 229

GEOG 1302: Human Geography

GEOG 201

ACCT 2302: Principles of Managerial Accounting

ACCT 230

GEOG 1303: World Geography

GEOG 202

AGRI 1315: Horticulture

HORT 201

GOVT 2305: American Government

POLS 206

AGRI 1319: Animal Science

ANSC 107

GOVT 2306: Texas Government

POLS 207

AGRI 2317: Introduction to Ag Economics

AGEC 105

HIST 1301: U.S. History I

HIST 105

ANTH 2301: Physical Anthropology

ANTH 225

HIST 1302: U.S. History II

HIST 106

ANTH 2302: Introduction to Archaeology

ANTH 202

HIST 2301: Texas History

HIST 226

ANTH 2346: Introduction to Anthropology

ANTH 201

MATH 1324: Math for Business & Social Sciences I

MATH 140

ANTH 2351: Cultural Anthropology

ANTH 210

ARCH 1301: Architectural History I

ARCH 249

MATH 1325: Calculus for Business and Social Sciences

MATH 142

ARTS 1301: Art Appreciation

Transfer by Course Title

MATH 1332: Contemporary Mathematics I

Transfer by Course Title

ARCH 1304: Art History II (14th Century)

ARTS 150

MATH 1342: Elementary Statistical Methods

STAT 201

BIOL 1308: Biology for Non-Science Majors I

BIOL 113

MUSI 1306: Music Appreciation

MUSC 201

BIOL 1322: Nutrition and Diet Therapy

NFSC 202

PHIL 1301: Introduction to Philosophy

PHIL 251

BUSI 1301: Introduction to Business

BUSN 101

PHIL 2306: Introduction to Ethics

PHIL 111

BUSI 2301: Business Law

MGMT 212

PSYC 2301: General Psychology

PSYC 107

BCIS 1305: Business Computer Applications

ISTM 210

ECON 2301: Principles of Economics (Macro)

ECON 203

PSYC 2314: Lifespan Growth and Development

Transfer by Course Title

ECON 2302: Principles of Economics (Micro)

ECON 202

SOCI 1301: Introduction to Sociology

SOCI 205

ENGL 1301: Composition I

ENGL 103

SPCH 1311: Introduction to Speech Communication

COMM 101

GEOG 1301: Physical Geography

GEOG 203

SPCH 1315: Public Speaking

COMM 203

Spring 2022 classes begin January 18.

SPRING

www.blinn.edu

DEMARVIN

LEAL 2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT

13 SACKS 133 TACKLES 25 TACKLES FOR LOSS Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

CONGRATS Remember to carry the Aggie Spirit with you wherever you go.