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Thursday, October 29, 2026
SPORTS: A&M volleyball to take on thriller series against Tennessee, Texas
PUBLICATION NOTICE
LIFE & ARTS: Phi Kappa Tau inaugural haunted trail to benefit food bank
Thursday, November 5, 2026
MIDTERM ELECTION GUIDE As election day nears, here are policies you need to know from each candidate in major Texas races Disclaimer: All policies and descriptions were obtained from candidates’ campaign websites.
UNITED STATES SENATOR
KEN PAXTON Carry the torch for Trump’s agenda: Paxton will support President Donald Trump’s priorities including cutting taxes, securing the border and deporting illegal aliens, ending the weaponization of government and draining the Swamp. Take on big food and big pharma: Paxton will prioritize getting Americans transparency and accountability surrounding healthcare and making America healthy again. Sovereignty matters, borders must hold: Paxton will help Trump finish and secure the border wall and help deport criminal illegal aliens to put an end to disastrous open border policies. No compromise, just conservative principles: Paxton will stand with Trump to defend gun rights, unborn life and defeat the transgender movement to keep men out of women’s sports, and eliminate indoctrination in classrooms. Foreign policy that puts Americans first: Paxton will advance an “American
JAMES TALARICO
First” foreign policy to ensure the safety of citizens by strenghening and prioritizing America’s interests first and helping promote peace through strength. No more blank checks, no more broken promises: Paxton will cut taxes and stop wasteful spending while working to create American jobs and restore the American Dream by removing harmful regulations designed to hurt energy companies. Defeat the most radical democrat in Texas history: Paxton will preserve Texas values by defeating Talarico and standing with Trump to secure the border, protect parental rights, defend common sense and make sure Texas remains conservative. Support crypto innovation and growth: Paxton will make America the crypto capital of the world to ensure long-term competitiveness and leadership through a pro-growth framework and passing legislation like the CLARITY Act to give innovators certainty to build and scale.
Corruption and democracy: Talarico will ban super and corporate PACs, and ban stock trading for members of Congress. Taxes and cost of living: Talarico will cut taxes for working people and lower costs to make billionaires and corporations pay their fair share. Public education: Talarico will keep public money in public schools, hire more teachers and raise their pay, while also bringing pre-K options to every family. Health care: Talarico will protect Texans’ health insurance and Medicaid, end maternal mortality crisis and lower drug costs and medical debt. Freedom, family and faith: Talarico will defend separation of church and state, oppose TCH and book bans and fight for paid family leave and affordable child care. Immigration and border security: Talarico will hire additional Border Patrol agents, crack down on cartels and pass comprehensive immigration reform. Social media, Al and tech: Talarico
will keep children safe online and hold social media companies accountable without prohibiting their freedom of speech. Public safety and justice: Talarico will protect Second Amendment rights, pass universal background checks to stop crime before it happens. Labor and business: Talarico will raise the minimum wage to $15, expand overtime opportunities and give small businesses an equal shot against large corporations. Rural investment: Talarico will protect rural schools, bring high-speed internet and clean water to all areas of the state and support farmers and ranchers. Foreign policy: Talarico will end the war in Iran and prevent it from getting a nuclear weapon by standing with our allies. Energy and environment: Talarico will weatherproof the grid and lower electricity bills. Veterans: Talarico will fund the VA and help veterans and their families find housing, jobs and care.
UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE
CHRIS GOBER Conservative values; conservative priorities: Gober will put his experience to work to support Trump and help deliver his “America First” agenda. Stop the weaponization of government: Gober will stop democrats from weaponizing the government against conservatives, America first patriots and Trump. Crush the cartels: Gober will help Trump secure the border and encourage law enforcement to halt the invasion of drugs, violence and gangs in Texas.
CAITLIN ROURK
Grow Texas’ economy and beat China: Gober will support Trump in his “America First” agenda, by boosting investment in defense and technology to position Austin and the Brazos Valley as America’s center for innovation, ensuring America outcompetes China and strengthens technology, infrastructure and national security. Fight for rural Texas and make life more affordable: Gober will cut regulations, expand opportunities for small businesses, make essentials more affordable and strengthen rural healthcare for Texans.
Reform government and restore accountability: Rourk will ensure accessible and accountable representation of government by confronting corruption and building a government that serves the public. Fight for working families: Rourk will support economic and tax policies that reward work, expand opportunities and help families build lasting financial security. Lower health care costs and expand access: Rourk will put patients before profit, expand accessible and affordable health care and protect Americans’ decisions regarding their own health care. Strengthen public schools and child care: Rourk will fight to strengthen public
education in Texas. Protect communities in the age of AI: Rourk will fight for responsible technology and AI policy in order to protect communities, strengthen national security and ensure everyone has a seat at the table. Fix our broken immigration system: Rourk will work to pass comprehensive immigration reform and a practical and humane border security strategy. Advance responsible foreign policy and national security: Rourk will work to stay engaged in the world as a force for stability, strengthening alliances and using all tools of American power - diplomatic, economic and military.
EARLY VOTING ENDS TOMORROW Friday, October 30 ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3
METRO
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10.29.2026
MIDTERM ELECTION GUIDE More policies you should be aware of when voting in Texas’ election
TEXAS SENATE DISTRICT 5
TEXAS HOUSE DISTRICT 14
TEXAS LT. GOVERNOR
TEXAS GOVERNOR
Disclaimer: All policies were found on the candidates campagin websites.
GREG ABBOTT
GINA HINOJOSA
Property tax reform, housing costs, healthcare costs, insurance costs, energy costs, public safety, higher education, public education
Money in your pocket: $1500 corruption tax refund, lower your grocery bill, Save Texas public schools: end the STAAR test, stop school takeovers
DAN PATRICK
VIKKI GOODWIN
Protect liberty, lower property and business taxes, create jobs and grow our economy, strengthen our grid by adding additional reliable thermal power
Public education, clean water and energy, affordable housing, comprehensive healthcare
PAUL DYSON
JANET DUDDING
First Amendment, Second Amendment, pro-life, border security, tax relief, education
Affordability, public education, academic freedom: protecting the integrity of the degree, data centers, healthcare, property tax reform
CHARLES SCHWERTNER
PAUL THOMASSON
Defend private property rights, cut taxes, protect Texas children, stregthen the electrical grid, improve the lives of all Texans
The economy, healtcare, education, immigration, ecology
10.29.2026
NEWS
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Edoardo Vannini — THE BATTALION
Photo courtesy of REUTERS/via SNO Sites/Mike Segar
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
Midterm early voting surges in Brazos County Updates on turnout, campaign spending, voter interest in 2026 Texas midterm elections By Tanner Brown Associate Design & Graphics Editor Texas’ first week of early voting for this year’s midterm elections wrapped up on Sunday, with turnout across Brazos County outpacing the 2022 midterms. Data from the Brazos County Elections Administration shows more than 31,000 Brazos County residents voted through Sunday — nearly 80% higher than the first-week total in 2022. This spike in casted ballots follows broader statewide trends: The number of in-person votes cast across Texas in the first week jumped 58.2% from 2022, according to unofficial election data published by the Texas Secretary of State. Despite higher voter participation,
Brazos County trails behind the statewide rate on turnout percentage. About 21.38% of voters in Brazos County cast a ballot as of Oct. 25, compared with 23.81% across Texas. The surge comes as Texans weigh some of the most competitive races in years. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is locked in a race within the margin of error in most polls against state legislator James Talarico in a contest that could help determine control of the Senate. An Emerson College poll released on Oct. 22 found 48% of likely voters favor Talarico, 46% Paxton and 5% undecided. Talarico’s polling numbers have slowly crept up though — the same poll had him one point behind Paxton earlier in August. With control of the Senate at stake, outof-state spending has topped $85 million, according to a report from Open Secrets, a non-partisan nonprofit tracking money in elections nationwide. The neck-and-neck contest has also attracted unprecedented advertising spending, which has surpassed $500 million
since the primaries began, underscoring the national focus on the pivotal Senate race that is on track to become the most expensive Senate race in U.S. History, according to reporting from Reuters. The Senate race isn’t the only competitive matchup. Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa aims to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott, who is running for a record fourth term. While many polls disagree on how close the race is, they generally agree that Abbott faces a tougher challenge than he did in 2022. 270toWin’s polling average has Abbott up by roughly three points, compared to the nine-point advantage he held against Democrat Beto O’Rourke in 2022 at this point in the site’s 2022 average. At home, Republican Chris Gober and Democrat Caitlin Rourk are competing for an open seat in Texas’ 10th Congressional District. The district was redrawn last year by the state legislature in an effort to secure five new Republican seats in the House of Representatives at the request of President Donald Trump. Despite this, the newly drawn boundaries
have little effect on the makeup of District 10. Trump would have won the district by 23 points under the new boundaries but by 25 points under the old ones, according to data from the Texas Legislative Council. Cost of living and the economy are top of mind for voters. According to a poll from the Texas Politics Project, over a third of voters, Democrats and Republicans alike, listed these issues as their biggest concern behind their vote, followed by corruption at 8%. While voter concerns remain universal across party lines, Democrats seem to have an advantage in voter enthusiasm. Among Democrats, 53% said they were extremely enthusiastic, compared to 37% of Republicans. Early voting in Texas ends Friday, Oct. 30, with polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m at five locations across Brazos County, including Room L526 in the MSC. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters in line when polls close at 7 p.m. will still be able to cast a ballot. A full list of polling locations, including the MSC, can be found at Brazos County’s election website.
ENTERTAINMENT
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Dr. Doctor gets a Halloween scare
Comic by David Swope — THE BATTALION
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10.29.2026
CHRISTIAN FACULTY NETWORK We are a group of professors, instructors, lecturers, and administrators united by our common experience that Jesus Christ provides intellectual and spiritually satisfying answers to life’s most important questions. We are available to students, faculty, and staff who might like to discuss such questions with us. For more information about the Christian Faculty Network and its activities, please visit our website: http://cfn.tamu.edu Chris Carson 12th Man Foundation Clint Dempsey 12th Man Foundation Sharon Haigler Academic Success Center Joel McGee Academic Success Center Natalie Allen Accounting Kayla Cline Accounting Michelle Diaz Accounting Matt Ege Accounting Diana Kruse Accounting Sean McGuire Accounting Sarah Stuber Accounting James Warren Accounting Karalyn Fischer Aerospace Engineering James Boyd Aerospace Engineering Walter Haisler Aerospace Engineering John Valasek Aerospace Engineering John Whitcomb Aerospace Engineering Steve Smith Aggie One Stop Hannah Chavarria AGLS Advising Hub Benjamin Hampton Agricultural Economics Oral Capps Jr. Agricultural Economics Nathan Harness Agricultural Economics Grace Melo Agricultural Economics Kim Dooley Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication Alvin Larke, Jr. Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication Tobin Redwine Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication Dan Hale Animal Science Andy Herring Animal Science David Riley Animal Science Donna Witt Animal Science Jeff Haberl Architecture Jay Holmes Athletics Colin Killian Athletics James Wild Biochemistry and Genetics Donovan Davis Biological and Agricultural Engineering Russell McGee Biological and Agricultural Engineering Tobi Eniolu Morakinyo Biomedical Engineering Raley Marek Bush Combat Dev. Complex Michael Cochran Bush School of Government and Public Service James Griffin Bush School of Government and Public Service Cindy Raisor Bush School of Government and Public Service Sarah Rivera Bush School of Government and Public Service Matt Upton Bush School of Government and Public Service Ashley Winterrowd Bush School of Government and Public Service Wendy Kreider CEHD, Dean’s Office Ben Welch Center for Executive Development Meagan Orsag Center on Disability and Development Gary Blizzard Chemical Engineering Micah Green Chemical Engineering Greg Reeves Chemical Engineering Jim Pennington Chemistry Jack Lunsford Chemistry (Emeritus) Lance Clark Civil Engineering Gene Hawkins Civil Engineering Dallas Little Civil Engineering Dennis Mudd Civil Engineering Scott Socolofsky Civil Engineering Ralph Wurbs Civil Engineering Jose Roesset Civil Engineering (Emeritus) Hayes Ross, Jr. Civil Engineering (Emeritus) Donald Saylak Civil Engineering (Emeritus) Bridgette Vickers COALS Advising Nancy Eaker College of Arts & Sciences Gwendolyn Wilkins College of Education Jon Buchanan College of Engineering Ashley Germaine College of Nursing Karen Thomas College of Nursing Ashley Drillen College of Nursing Allison Pounders College of Nursing Jane Bolin College of Nursing Vicky Keys College of Nursing Lyndsay MacKay College of Nursing Bryan Kim College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts Andrew Christjoy Communication & Journalism Michael Gonzalez Communication & Journalism Martin Carlisle Computer Science and Engineering Timothy McGuire Computer Science and Engineering Tim Davis Computer Science and Engineering Nate Veldt Computer Science and Engineering Marian Zaki Computer Science and Engineering - Galveston Campus Walter Daugherity Construction Science Charles Gurganus Construction Science Jonathan Houston Construction Science Lance Simms Construction Science Lane Wright Contruction Science Carolyn Pampalone Rabbers Dance Science Blessing Nsofor Department of Agribusiness Shawna Thomas Department of Computer Science and Engineering Lee Allison Department of Engineering & Industrial Distribution
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GHOULISH GAMES AHEAD A&M takes on pair of ranked opponents to close out October By Brody Vaughn Associate Sports Editor Late October tends to be associated with tricks and treats, and as No. 17 Texas A&M volleyball begins the back half of its Southeastern Conference slate, head coach Jamie Morrison is hoping to pull some tricks from up his sleeve to handle a few ghoulish contenders. After a rather frightening start to SEC play, A&M turned things around with a dominant win over then-No. 4 Kentucky. The sweep was the first the Wildcats had suffered since their national championship loss to the Aggies last season. “One of the things we talk about a lot is how much pressure can we give and how long can we sustain it,” Morrison said. “And I thought that, and I said that afterwards to the team: ‘It wasn’t necessarily one player or one spectacular highlight, it was just consistently good volleyball that was hard to keep up with.’”
The match was well rounded, with four players contributing to six or more kills. Senior outside hitter Kyndal Stowers continued her impressive season, landing 16 kills along with 10 digs. Fifth-year OH Natalie Ring has shown improvement in her first year with the Aggies, finishing the night with 12 kills. Senior setter Margot Manning got a chance to shine in her second start of the season as well, racking up 36 assists in the win against Kentucky. “She’s bringing some leadership on the floor,” Morrison said. “And it was one of those things where it was going really, really well at practice, and she got a couple opportunities to be able to step in there and do well earlier in the week against Arkansas, and then obviously against Georgia, and just, I thought I saw something that we needed on Sunday.” The win marked A&M’s third ranked win, two of them being against teams ranked fourth. “[It] means a lot,” Morrison said about the win over Kentucky. “And it’s not necessarily about the win, it’s the way we played volleyball. The way that we stayed composed, we stayed steady, the quality of volleyball that we played. We did it for an hour
and a half, and that’s what we need to do more of.” With a big win behind them, the Aggies turn their sights to back-to-back top-15 teams. A&M welcomes No. 12 Tennessee to Reed Arena for the Monster Block Party on Friday, Oct. 30. The Volunteers boast a 16-3 record, with wins over then-No. 9 Penn State and Kentucky. The strong start for the Orange and White has been primarily on the back of sophomore OH Kennedi Rogers. The Missouri City native leads the team in kills with 244, only finishing one game with fewer than 10 kills. Her impact spans to defense as well, helping out with 132 digs. “I think they brought in a lot of people that have really good arms and that can play volleyball,” Morrison said. “So they serve and pass the ball really well. They’re a little bit undersized, but they make up for it in the fact that they’re physical with arms and they jump well. So I think they’re a challenge in some different ways than some other teams we’ve played throughout the season.” The monstrous matchups continue two days later, as A&M heads to Austin for the Lone Star Showdown against No. 15 Texas.
The Longhorns, similar to the Aggies, faced a gauntlet in preseason play. Although they hold a 10-7 record, wins over then-No. 6 Wisconsin and Tennessee speak to their ability to match up with the nation’s best. Senior OH Torrey Stafford has brought down the hammer for the Longhorn offense, landing 281 kills for a .269 hitting percentage. Her strong arm will force the Aggie front line to step up. Freshman OH Henley Anderson has been a rising star for the Burnt Orange, contributing to 146 kills and 45 blocks. For the Aggies, consistent all-around play is necessary to continue their recent surge of momentum. The 12th Man will have a chance to aid the Aggies at Reed Arena against Tennessee during the Monster Block Party, and with Halloween looming, fans are encouraged to wear costumes. “I think it’ll be a really fun match,” Morrison said. “That’s a really good volleyball team that we’re going up against, so we need support. But secondly, just a lot of festivities happening around Halloween for that. So I think we need support. 12th Man, get out here and the second piece, again, I think it’ll be really fun like it was last year against Texas.”
SPORTS
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Bucky Ball’s bag of tricks gets deeper
10.29.2026
7 transfers bring scoring, size, defensive versatility to McMillan’s second season in Aggieland By Elon Jent Sports Writer Bucky Ball had no trouble putting points on the scoreboard during its first season in Aggieland, but finding another way to score when 3-pointers stopped falling was a different story. After averaging 86.1 points per game and reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Texas A&M men’s basketball head coach Bucky McMillan turned to the transfer portal to address some of the weaknesses that limited his first squad. With seven Division I transfers joining the roster, the Aggies have added scoring, size and experience without sacrificing the fast-paced identity that helped them finish 22-12 last season. McMillan believes this year’s roster will be more consistent because of its ability to attack the basket rather than rely on heavy outside shooting. “We have more positional size,” McMillan said during a preseason press conference. “They can win games not making threes.” A&M’s 94-88 exhibition loss to SMU on Oct. 25 offered an early glimpse of the revamped roster, with newcomers accounting for some of the Aggies’ biggest contributions. PJ Haggerty, Kansas State Graduate guard PJ Haggerty averaged 23.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists at Kansas State last season, finishing fourth nationally in scoring. The 6-foot-4 guard wasted no time showcasing his abilities against SMU, pouring in 28 points on 10for-15 shooting while adding four assists and four steals. Despite his offensive production, Haggerty said his biggest focus has been becoming a more vocal leader and developing chemistry with his new teammates. His ability to create his own shot and attack the basket could provide an offensive weapon A&M lacked when its perimeter shooting went cold. “I think I fit pretty well, just being able to get downhill, get my teammates involved, being able to score,” Haggerty said during a preseason press conference. Jordan Pope, Texas Graduate G Jordan Pope traded burnt orange for maroon and white, bringing SEC experience and another scoring threat to Aggieland. The former Longhorn averaged 13.1 points last season and has established himself as a capable perimeter shooter. Although Pope arrived after summer workouts, McMillan said his basketball IQ helped him quickly adjust to the system. “He can really shoot it,” McMillan said. “He’s smart, and he knows how to play.” Pope backed up that assessment against SMU, scoring 15 points and connecting on 3-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc. His outside shooting could complement Haggerty’s ability to penetrate defenses, forcing opponents to account for multiple scoring threats rather than focusing on stopping one player. Jalen Shelley, Loyola Marymount At 6-foot-9, junior forward Jalen Shelley provides the positional size McMillan emphasized throughout the offseason. The former Loyola Marymount forward averaged 13.7 points and 6.6 rebounds last season, earning All-West Coast Conference honorable mention honors. After recovering from surgery, Shelley said he was fully cleared around the beginning of August, just as A&M began its exhibition trip to the Bahamas. “I think my versatility is a good fit for this type of system,” Shelley said during a preseason press conference. Shelley compared Bucky Ball’s aggressive defense to the Minnesota Vikings’ blitzheavy approach, describing a system built around constant pressure and wearing opponents down. He finished with four points and five rebounds against SMU, but his ability to play inside and outside could help A&M use bigger lineups without sacrificing speed. Cade Phillips, Tennessee Senior F Cade Phillips brings winning experience and a physical presence to A&M’s frontcourt.
READ MORE HERE
Photos by CJ Smith — THE BATTALION
Clockwise from left: Guard PJ Haggerty (4) dribbles the ball during Texas A&M basketball’s game against SMU at Moody Coliseum on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2025. Guard PJ Haggerty (4) prepares to shoot a free throw during Texas A&M basketball’s game against SMU at Moody Coliseum on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2025. Guard PJ Haggerty (4) dribbles the ball to the net during Texas A&M basketball’s game against SMU at Moody Coliseum on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2025. Guard PJ Haggerty (4) shoots a free throw during Texas A&M basketball’s game against SMU at Moody Coliseum on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. Guard PJ Haggerty (4) dribbles on the paint during Texas A&M basketball’s game against SMU at Moody Coliseum on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2025. Guard PJ Haggerty (4) lobs a floater during Texas A&M basketball’s game against SMU at Moody Coliseum on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2025.
Haggerty adds energy to Bucky Ball
When Texas A&M men’s basketball graduate student guard PJ Haggerty was asked by members of the local media about what it meant to be named preseason AllSoutheastern Conference, he made his feelings on the third-team selection clear. “Being recognized for anything with basketball is a blessing, I would say,” Haggerty said at a preseason media availability on Oct. 13. “Do I agree with it? No, but you know what I’m saying, it’s just their opinion. Everybody has their own opinion, but we’ll see when the season ends.” Haggerty — the only Aggie to earn preseason all-conference honors this season — said there’s no question about where he belongs. “Me personally, I think I’m the best player,” Haggerty said. “But they have their own opinion. But like I said, end of the season, we’ll see.” It certainly hasn’t taken Haggerty very long to build his case. During A&M’s exhibition against SMU on Oct. 25, the Kansas State transfer led all scorers with 28 points on 10-for-15 shooting from the field while adding four assists and four steals as the Aggies fell 94-88. A great showing — but there’s room to improve if Haggerty wants to live up to his own expectations, head coach Bucky McMillan said after the game. “He got to the line well,” McMillan said. “He made some big baskets. For the most part, [Haggerty] played pretty good defense. He’s a better closer than what he showed in that game. … I love coaching PJ, but he’s gonna have to allow me to keep coaching because we’ve got a ways to go.”
Born in Baytown and a native of Crosby, Haggerty signed with TCU out of high school, where he played six games before redshirting and entering the transfer portal. His return to the Lone Star State after stints with Tulsa, Memphis and Kansas State has allowed him to play — and spend plenty of time hanging out off of the court — with some fellow Texans he’s met over his career, Haggerty said. “A lot of us [are] from Texas, so we kind of get the Texas feel,” Haggerty said. “But it’s different with other players. Bonding on and off the court, [we’ve] been hanging out, going to dinners, playing a game, and then on the court in practices we’re just going at each other. So it’s been cool.” After his time at TCU, Haggerty made his way to Tulsa and Memphis — earning AllAmerican honors at the latter stop — while being named the American Conference’s Freshman of the Year in 2024 and Player of the Year in 2025. And while Kansas State struggled last season, Haggerty certainly did not, as he ranked fourth in the nation in scoring while averaging 23.4 points per game. Senior forward Mackenzie Mgbako — who himself is looking for a breakout year with the Aggies after playing in just seven games and suffering a Jones fracture in his foot last season — said that fans can expect Haggerty to continue his stellar scoring performances. “He’s whatever you need [on] any given night,” Mgbako said. “ … If you need to be on the ball, off the ball, play defense — he doesn’t get enough credit for that. He could do anything. He’s a great teammate outside of basketball, too.” Mgbako said there’s a simple joy that comes from sharing the court with a player like Haggerty. “It’s really fun, man,” Mgbako said. “You get a great shot each possession, and sometimes when he gets into his bag you’re like, ‘Damn, how you do that?’ … It’s amazing to watch and you can pick up a lot of stuff from a player like that.”
A journeyman’s career
Learning Bucky Ball
Haggerty is the closest thing you can find to a journeyman in today’s game. His stint with the Aggies makes A&M his fifth school in his five-year career, but his Texas roots run deep.
While Haggerty fits right in with Bucky Ball — McMillan’s iconic style of up-tempo basketball — on offense, he said that his defense has improved in the system's press “Prior, [at] other schools, I played
Journeyman guard led Aggies with 28 points in exhibition By Ian Curtis Senior Entreprise Reporter
decently,” Haggerty said. “But just knowing I have to pick up for every play, be aware of who I’m guarding, be in the gap … I think that’s the main focus I took away from [it].” McMillan said that Haggerty is fitting into the system well to begin the year, largely thanks to his high basketball IQ. “PJ is a super smart player,” McMillan said. “People can have different opinions of different players, positive and negative, in the recruiting process. I go with my eyes a lot, and what I can tell you is PJ knows how to play basketball. He sees rotations, he makes the right pass, he’s elite at getting fouled. … For the old-school ballers, he’s like a 1980s player. He gets in the lane, slows down, has every kind of shot.” After the SMU game — where he went 8-for-10 from the free throw line, leading A&M in both free throws made and attempted in a game in which the Aggies went to the charity stripe 40 times — Haggerty said that getting fouled so often takes an intentional strategy. “I think it’s more so a skill,” Haggerty said. “Just watching how people guard me. Most people try to be emotionally aggressive, so using their aggressiveness against them.” McMillan said that a major point of focus in the second half of said exhibition was sharing the ball, with Haggerty and graduate student G Jordan Pope playing key roles in that shift. Haggerty said that he and Pope, who transferred from Texas and is currently eligible under a temporary restraining order as he seeks an extra year of eligibility as one of the Class of 2022 players challenging the NCAA’s new 5-for-5 eligibility model, are working well together so far. “It’s been amazing, just playing with [him] in practice,” Haggerty said. “ … Just getting used to each other, [we can] shoot and make plays, just playing off each other the whole season. I think it’ll be a great backcourt for the team.” As A&M opens its regular season against Alabama State on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Reed Arena, fans can expect Haggerty’s play and leadership to directly lead to wins. “He’s got all kinds of weird stuff to his game, and that’s what makes it hard to stop,” McMillan said. “It’s unique, but he’s been a joy to coach because he’s playing winning basketball. He’s doing all the things that will equate to winning.”
SPORTS
10.29.2026
B3
Opinion: CFP is suffering because of people who couldn’t care less about it 24-team playoff lowers stakes, bolsters unwarranted games Adriano Espinosa — THE BATTALION
Adriano Espinosa - THE BATTALION
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By Matthew Almand Sports Writer Most college students would rather be anywhere but on campus on a weekend — unless it’s a Saturday in the fall. Campuses all the way from Miami to Seattle flood with tens of thousands of people to watch amateur athletes hit each other as hard as they can for three hours. Small towns will draw in crowds bigger than their own population — in some cases up to four times as much. Ever since Rutgers and Princeton first faced off 157 years ago, there has been something special about college football — the beauty of the regular season. No other sport on the planet provides the same levels of excitement week in and week out. It’s not going anywhere, but starting next year, it may not feel quite the same. Many things haven’t felt the same about college football in recent years, and if you feel uneasy about it, I’m right there with you. College football’s leadership — or lack thereof — is the very thing that is killing this sport, and the expansion of the College Football Playoff is incredibly symbolic of all of the issues with this sport. The regular season will no longer have the stakes that it used to
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Adriano Espinosa - THE BATTALION
Clockwise from left: Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) hands the ball off during Texas A&M football’s game against Texas at Darrell K Royall-Texas Memorial Stadium on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. South Carolina redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) throws under pressure during Texas A&M football’s game against South Carolina at Kyle Field on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. Running back Rueben Owens II (4) stiff arms Auburn cornerback Jay Crawford (23) during Texas A&M football’s game against Auburn at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. Quarterback Marcel Reed (10) attempts to scramble from Arkansas defensive back Shelton Lewis (2) in the first quarter during Texas A&M football’s game against Arkansas at Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. Florida running back Jadan Baugh (13) is tackled by the Aggie defense during Texas A&M football’s game against Florida at Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025.
A&M bye week viewing guide
Games to watch during Week 9 while Aggies rest at home By Trey Bohne Associate Sports Editor For the first time this fall, Texas A&M football has nothing to lose. After yet another disappointing Southeastern Conference loss — this time at the hands of then-No. 13 Alabama — the Aggies enter Week 9 with a much-needed bye and an opportunity to regroup before the final stretch of the regular season. But for die-hard college football fans staring down an otherwise uneventful Saturday afternoon, there’s no shortage of drama across the SEC and beyond. From historic rivalries and College Football Playoff aspirations to head coaches with their careers in the crosshairs, Week 9 offers plenty of reasons to be glued to the television. And luckily for the 12th Man, no matter what happens on the field, there’s no way A&M can lose this weekend. No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 17 Florida In Week 9, the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is back. Florida heads to Athens, Georgia, under new management with hopes of knocking off the closest program we’ve seen to former Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide since his retirement in 2024. The Gators emerged as one of the SEC’s biggest surprises under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, securing statement victories over the then-No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels and then-No. 7 Texas Longhorns. Meanwhile, Georgia has been nothing short of dominant — or so we thought. After a shocking upset loss to Auburn on Oct. 17, head coach Kirby Smart’s squad aims to tighten their grip on the SEC, while Florida looks to prove that the Swamp is back. No. 12 Ole Miss vs. Auburn Two programs, two first-year head coaches, but two completely different situations. Despite its first season under head coach Pete Golding, Ole Miss entered 2026 with College Football Playoff aspirations, returning fifth year+ quarterback Trindad Chambliss and securing an early victory over former head coach Lane Kiffin and
LSU. Ranked No. 4 with a Heisman Trophy frontrunner leading the offense, things couldn’t have looked better in Oxford, Mississippi through Week 4. Meanwhile, Auburn’s new regime under first-year head coach Alex Golesh struggled to find its footing, suffering early losses to Florida and then-No. 17 Tennessee while watching fellow first-year SEC coaches — like Golding, Sumrall and Kiffin — make headlines. But halfway through the season, the narratives changed. Disappointing losses to then-No. 22 Florida and then-No. 19 Texas have left Ole Miss fighting to keep its CFP hopes alive, as Chambliss comes off one of his worst performances of the season against the Longhorns, going 25-of-52 and throwing three interceptions. Auburn, on the other hand, traveled to Athens, in Week 7 as a heavy underdog and left with one of the biggest upsets of the season, knocking off Georgia, 27-24, and giving Golesh a signature victory. Saturday, Oct. 31, the two meet in Oxford; one with declining CFP hopes and one with restored hope; both looking for a much-needed conference win. No. 11 Texas vs. Mississippi State A year removed from one of the wildest games of the 2025 season, where Texas came back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Mississippi State, 45-38, the conference foes meet again under drastically different circumstances. Entering 2026, the Longhorns were projected to compete for an SEC championship behind their Heismanhopeful senior QB Arch Manning, but losses to Oklahoma and Florida quickly derailed those expectations, leaving head coach Steve Sarkisian facing mounting criticism and Texas fighting to keep its postseason hopes alive. Mississippi State, however, experienced a promising start of its own. Behind emerging sophomore QB Kamario Taylor, the Bulldogs opened the season 4-0, offering hope that the program might finally be turning a corner. But an injury to Taylor and a string of losses to Alabama, LSU and Oklahoma brought Mississippi State back to reality. On Saturday, Oct. 31, the Longhorns and Bulldogs will square off in Austin, with Texas entering as heavy favorites on the brink of CFP elimination. USC vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Outside of the SEC, about-to-befired head coach Lincoln Riley and USC welcome one of the biggest juggernauts in college football to the Coliseum — Ohio State. Riley left Oklahoma for Los Angeles in 2021, despite leading the Sooners to four straight Big 12 conference championships and three CFP appearances in his first four seasons. And aside from Caleb Williams’ Heisman Trophy in 2022, Riley’s tenure with the Trojans has been anything but dominant, with three straight sub-10 win seasons and failing to secure a single CFP berth. Now, on the brink of a coaching search in Southern California, USC is set to square off against one of the most consistent powerhouses of the Big Ten in Ohio State, who brings a potential Heisman candidate of their own in junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. If there’s any game for Riley to prove that his program can still have success, it’s this one. Is it likely? No. Oregon vs. No. 20 Northwestern A matchup between the haves and havenots; but not how you’d think. Entering 2026, Oregon had everything and Northwestern had nothing. The Ducks entered the season led by a potential 2027 No. 1 to No. 3 overall NFL Draft pick, according to CBS Sports, in senior QB Dante Moore and back-to-back CFP appearances under head coach Dan Lanning. Northwestern, however, entered the season with modest expectations and littleto-no national recognition, aside from a brand-new state-of-the-art stadium in Ryan Field. But as the season unfolded, the roles reversed. With a 39-31 loss to Oklahoma State in Week 2, Oregon quickly fell from grace, falling to then-No. 21 UCLA and Illinois, and to make matters worse, Dante Moore sustained a season-ending concussion in Week 4, leaving the Ducks without their Heisman-hopeful field general for the remainder of their conference schedule. Meanwhile, Northwestern shocked the world, climbing to No. 20 in the AP poll, courtesy of a surprisingly successful 6-1 record, losing only to defending National Champion then-No. 5 Indiana on Sept. 25. On Saturday, the Big Ten’s afternoon window offers the perfect matchup between ‘what once was’ and ‘what now is.’
I was largely opposed to the 12-team playoff at first, but after seeing a couple of years of it playing out, I was pleasantly surprised. This format offers stakes on the regular season while also creating more access for teams that may not have had the same opportunities in the era of the fourteam playoff. Many have made the point that Texas had a roster last year that could’ve contended for a national title, which may be true. Maybe if it hadn’t lost three games and been taken to overtime by subpar Kentucky and Mississippi State teams then it would’ve earned a spot to compete for it. That is the beauty of the 12-team field. Sure, you may have had a very talented roster, but if you didn’t execute with it, the only person you have to blame for missing the playoffs is yourself. If teams can lose one-third of their games and still make it in, what would be a devastating loss this year will turn into an “Ah shucks, we’ll get ‘em next week” loss. Proponents of expansion will tell you that the stakes will still exist, just on different games Now, instead of the urgency being on a rivalry game between two fringe playoff teams that could actually compete to win a championship, the stakes will be on a 20to 25th-ranked mediocre Power Four team trying to avoid its fifth loss. There are far too many teams that will make it into the field that have absolutely no chance of competing for the national championship. If you believe that any team in the bottom half of the field has a chance of hoisting the trophy, you are lying to yourself. Increased access won’t be for everyone Narrowly missing the playoff due to those blunders, the Longhorns would have been put in the middle of the pack in the soonto-be-expanded field. By letting teams like a 9-3 Texas onto the turf, we are telling teams, “Oh well, as long as you’re pretty good in the regular season and have a Big Ten or SEC logo on your jersey, we have a spot for you.” That’s who this playoff format is making room for — not schools like New Mexico or UTSA, because in the eyes of the CFP Committee, their logos won’t draw as much attention as a big brand like USC or Notre Dame. ‘You’ll watch anyway’ Not my words — theirs. The public was largely in favor of the four-team and 12team playoffs, but the public hates this. But the people in charge don’t care. You and I, the people who really care about this sport, mean nothing to them. In a poll from The Athletic, just 18% of over 6,000 fans supported the expansion. In a poll on X from On3, just 9% of voters were in favor of doubling the playoff pool. When questioned about the widespread backlash against the proposed 24-team field during Big Ten Football Media Days in July, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti had this to say: “I know there’s things out there, we get, ‘Oh, this fan poll said this, this poll said that.’ I’m really confident that we’ll fill our stadiums and we’ll have really large audiences for these games.”
10.29.2026
SPORTS
B4
Satire: Aggies rejoice over bye week break It can’t get much worse, right? By Wyatt Pickering Associate Opinion Editor Editor’s Note: This article is satire. All quotes are fabricated and used for fictional purposes. Aggies young, old and very old, have been graciously given a relaxing respite after an embarrassing loss to Alabama by getting a much-needed win. By that I mean that there was no actual victory, just a bye week, so fans are not subjected to another addition to Texas A&M football’s fabulous 4-4 record. Whether that addition is a win or a loss, I will leave it up to your imagination. A&M’s University Health System — whose actual job is assisting students with real medical problems — has been overwhelmed by the large number of finance bros reporting conditions of chronic anxiety, depression and apathy when the topic of Aggie football is brought up in casual conversation. It’s gotten so bad that some of these “bros” have elected to attend accounting class just to avoid thinking about their favorite team’s upsetting losses. “Grown men with thinning hairlines have been subjected to an insurmountable amount of stress this football season,” Brazos Valley Public Health Official Daniel Stevens ‘15 said. “We haven’t seen levels of Aggie pessimism this high since the announcement that ‘POWER’ would no longer be used as the A&M football team’s walk-up song in 2022.” It’s not just the fans who have been under a lot of stress over A&M football’s performance. Senior quarterback Marcel Reed has taken it upon himself to motivate his fellow players and give them the confidence boost necessary to win. “Guys, [head] coach [Mike] Elko is right,” Reed said. “If we want to win, it’s on us. If we practice like we’re going to lose, then we’re going to lose.” In an embarrassing attempt to motivate his fellow team members, many groans could be heard throughout the practice facility, followed by what witnesses described as “the collective sigh of 85 men who have heard this speech before.” Reed may not be the motivational speaker that A&M is desperately trying to, or even wants to, hear from right now. However,
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Fans stand for the national anthem during Texas A&M football’s game against Arkansas at Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.
Elko has been making what appears to be strides preparing Aggie football for the upcoming conference games. “At A&M, we are building a culture,” Elko said. “And when you are building a culture, it takes time. Have we won a lot this season? No. Is our devoted fanbase in support of performance this season? No. Does anybody have any faith that we will continue winning this season? Also no. But that doesn’t matter, because when we say we are winners, then we must be winners with a great culture.” When asked for further clarification on when this building of culture will be completed, A&M Athletics confirmed the “culture” in question remains under construction, with no completion date
and a projected cost of “a couple more Saturdays with questionable results.” In an exclusive interview with the Queen of Aggieland, Reveille IX, The Battalion was able to obtain a better insight into how the recent losses have affected even the furriest supporters of the Aggie football team. “I’m a dog, so I don’t know much about wins and losses or football,” Reveille IX said from a cushion she described as “the only thing in Aggieland that hasn’t let me down this year.” “I know that every Saturday, a lot of people I love go into that stadium full of hope and come out looking like they lost a family member,” said Reveille. “This week, nobody went in, and everybody seems fine.
I’m not saying that means anything. I’m just saying I’ve noticed.” In a surprisingly introspective moment for the canine royalty, Reveille has observed and understands the stress that many Aggies go through during this drought of victories. “I have been asked to boost morale,” Reveille said. “I am a dog. My morale is fine. It’s yours I’m worried about. Also bark, bark, bark!” When this bye week ends and our football team goes up against their next opponent, will they continue to be just like Reveille, all bark and no bite? Wyatt Pickering is a business honors and finance senior and associate opinion editor for The Battalion.
New faces around bases: Aggie fall ball takeaways
After a restless offseason for Texas A&M baseball, a pair of scrimmages have given us our first look at what to expect for the Aggies on the diamond this season. With dozens of new players on the roster, head coach Michael Earley and new pitching coach Barry Enright got to see their players face some unfamiliar competition for the first time
right over the past few months is already very evident. Well over a dozen different Aggies took the mound in exhibition play, and seven of them didn’t allow a baserunner while striking out at least two. It’s to be expected that some guys will struggle in fall ball, but senior right-handed pitcher Clayton Freshcorn and junior RHP Gavin Lyons were not who the staff expected to be taking a second look at. The veteran duo combined to throw five innings and allowed four runs on six hits. It’s nothing to hit the panic button about, but it’s also probably not the start the coaching staff wanted to see from who will be their go-to guys this season. “There’s definitely a lot of new, but there’s also a new coach, so it’s kind of a new canvas,” Earley said in a preview for the exhibitions. “It’s fun. It’s fun to be around a lot of new guys and teach.”
Offense finding their footing
Starting roles up for grabs
After watching the first scrimmage, it was difficult to see who might be an offensive leader for the Maroon and White this season. Plenty of guys stumbled out of the gate in the first game against Rice, but a few really found its rhythm a week later. Sophomore shortstop Nico Partida, junior center fielder Terrence Kiel II and junior catcher Zane Becker were all perfect examples of this. The trio went 1-12 against the Owls’ pitching, but their performance against McNeese State could not have been more different. Seemingly inspired from their previous poor showing, the group propelled the offense with a staggering eight hits in just nine at-bats and added another pair of walks. As the coaching staff look to see who will step up for them, performances like these stick out.
Less than half of the starting lineup from last season is back in the dugout, so there will be no shortage of new faces out on the field come February 2027. Without a surplus of returning production for the Aggies, it’s become clear that no starting role is safe. Many of these battles for spots in the lineup will likely continue on into the earlier parts of the season. Barring injury, expect to see Becker and junior catcher Nate Savoie, who came in from Clemson over the offseason, trade off behind the dish. Although he was a starter as a freshman last year, right fielder Jorian Wilson will defend his role against another junior transfer, Justin Tillar, who knocked three base hits in scrimmage play. The examples don’t stop there, as Earley and his staff fielded 16 different position players. However, as much as the coaches want to see the players perform well, Earley touched on the importance of making mistakes. “Guys are making mistakes, which is good,” Earley said. “You don’t want a lot of mistakes, but I do find a ton of value in making those.” Now begins the long wait to Friday, Feb. 19, 2027, when the Aggies will welcome the Milwaukee Panthers to Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
Scrimmages against Rice, McNeese prove there is still work to be done before opening day By Matthew Almand Sports Writer
Cautious optimism for pitching staff
Photos by CJ Smith —THE BATTALION
From top to bottom: Outfielder Terrence Kiel II catches a fly ball during Texas A&M baseball’s game against Rice University at Olsen Field on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. Catcher Nate Savoie (99) attempts to throw a runner out at second base during Texas A&M baseball’s game against Rice University at Olsen Field on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. Catcher Nate Savoie (99) during Texas A&M baseball’s game against Rice University at Olsen Field on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
Earley wasted little time going to the bullpen for a new pitching coach after the struggles on the mound plagued the Aggies when it mattered most a season ago. I won’t even mention Jason Kelly — I’d rather not think about it. Enter Enright, a former pro pitcher and coach who is now trying his hand at coaching college ball. Some of the development done by En-
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Texas A&M AgriLife research develops clone of tomato virus A&M team bioengineers possible genetically resistant infectious crop disease By Callie Graves News Reporter
Edoardo Vannini — THE BATTALION
Festival attendees talk with organization representatives during the Sustainability Festival at Rudder Plaza on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2026.
Campus Sustainability Day offers educational opportunities Student orgs, university departments, city employees share environmental resources By Callie Graves News Reporter The Office of Sustainability & Campus Enrichment hosted Campus Sustainability Day at Rudder Plaza on Oct. 21. Student organizations, university departments and representatives from the City of College Station gathered at Rudder Plaza to promote sustainability practices and educate students about opportunities for sustainability on campus. The event promoted organizations across campus that provide opportunities for students to get involved in sustainability efforts, featuring tables from groups such as the Aggie Green Fund, Aggie EcoRepresentatives, Citizens’ Climate Lobby and the Human Environmental Animal Team, Computer engineering junior Kushal Bhattarai and bioenvironmental sciences senior Malvika Rayaprolu were at the event as representatives for the Aggie Green Fund, a competitive grant-making program that provides students with funds for campus sustainability and environmental projects. “Our hope is that people come away thinking more about what they can do to be more sustainable,” Bhattarai said. “People can do a lot of small things in their life to be more sustainable, and by being here today and reminding people that there are things they can do, we hope that can bring some change.” Founded in 2011, the Aggie Green Fund has provided more than $2.8 million across 170 projects through Major and Micro Grants designed to promote sustainable living on campus and education on sustainability. Environmental studies junior Jaden Thibodeau received a Major i-nmGrant for her 2026 project, “Bird Friendly Building Initiative,” which aims to install bird-diverting film on existing glass windows to discourage birds from colliding with the glass. “We all think that sustainability is an Aggie value,” Rayaprolu said. “We just wanna push sustainability for being environmentally conscious on the Texas A&M campus and to fellow Aggies.”
Also in attendance were Wendy Jepson, Ph.D., geography professor and director of environmental programs and environment and sustainability initiative, and Visiting Lecturer Daniel Silva, Ph.D., who were representing the Department of Geography and the new interdepartmental environmental programs. “I think there is a lot of stuff going on related to sustainability on campus, but this just kind of brings it all together so students can see what we do,” Jepson said. “It’s not just recycling, but reducing, ‘What are the materials that are common across campus that they use in food service?’ Those are some big issues that I think could have some improvement.” Jepson and Silva stressed the importance of recognizing waste production and energy usage, using examples like the gaspowered leaf blowers that the maintenance crew uses on campus and emphasizing the importance of switching to electric equipment. “[The] U.S. in general, we could do way better,” Silva said. “Fifty percent of the waste usually goes to landfills. When compared to Europe and other places, it’s a smaller fraction. We have some upsides in Texas. Twenty-five percent of [our energy] comes from wind turbines now, so it is good.” Also educating students on waste production, Caroline Ask, solid waste division manager for the City of College Station, attended the event to advocate for the importance of recycling among students living off campus to help extend landfill lifespans. “What’s great about recycling as well is that you are taking commodities out of the landfill,” Ask said. “So landfills have lifespans, so the more we can expand that lifespan, usually the less that your utility bills are. We want [landfills] to last as long as possible.” General engineering freshman Lizandra Rubio attended the event and spoke about the environment she experienced at Sustainability Day. “What makes it easier is the supportive communities here [at] A&M,” Rubio said. “Everybody’s really positive about sustainability, recycling and all that. It makes it a little better, and it motivates me to be sustainable.” Wendy Webber, sustainability operations coordinator for the Office of Sustainability & Campus Enrichment, described the purpose and the challenges surrounding campus sustainability.
“I hope that everyone who comes finds something that really sparks some joy for them in the sustainability world,” Webber said. “That’s a big challenge is just people knowing about what is happening on campus and how they can get involved, and then the opportunities that they can make things happen. There is so much that they can get involved in.” The Office of Sustainability & Campus Enrichment has a group of eight sustainability interns who cycle every semester and serve to promote the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic and social. General engineering sophomore Korede Feyisitan, an intern at the sustainability office for Fall 2026, described sustainability as an opportunity to create positive change. “For me, it’s just an opportunity to make the world a better place, with all the negative things going on,” Feyisitan said. “With sustainability, I feel like I get the opportunity to fight against that or hope for a better future.” Environmental studies sophomore Sumiyah Ratliff, also a sustainability intern, emphasized the importance of preserving quality of life for future generations. “To me, sustainability means that we can all have a good quality of life now, but we also ensure that that quality of life is sustained for future generations,” Ratliff said. “Start small, start with something that doesn’t feel overwhelming. Start with something that you think matters the most to you.” For bioenvironmental science senior Ashley Cabrera, also a sustainability intern, sustainability begins with small changes that can make a difference over time. “I would say, for me, sustainability [is] starting small changes now so that we can be thankful for them in the future, especially right now whenever we kind of need it the most,” Cabrera said. “I feel like there’s a lot of things that people don’t realize are kind of considered sustainability, and just by making those changes we’re already improving our way of life.” Bioenvironmental science senior Jade Wren, also a sustainability intern, encouraged students to start small on their journeys to a sustainable lifestyle. “Don’t get overwhelmed with how much change you can make, just try to start small,” Wren said. “Go on a walk instead of driving to the gym or take the buses one day a week instead of driving every single day. Little changes you can do will really help change the world.”
Research in the Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology has led to a breakthrough in developing an infectious clone of tomato spotted wilt virus, or TSWV. Jeanmarie Verchot, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, and graduate student Haden Ball ‘22 recently developed an infectious clone of a U.S. isolate of TSWV that could open new possibilities for research into genetic resistance in peppers, tomatoes and other affected crops. “Tomato spotted wilt virus is a major epidemic in Texas, [with] peppers and tomatoes, and there is a need for technologies to address the problem,” Verchot said. “This is one of the important technologies in that, by cloning the virus, we can then study how it’s interacting and overcoming host immunity.” TSWV ranks second among the most devastating plant pathogenic viruses worldwide, with crop yield reductions estimated to reach 40 to 90%, with global economic losses exceeding $1 billion annually. Spread by small insects known as thrips, TSWV is transmitted in a propagative manner, meaning the virus replicates inside the insects that carry it. Due to its high genetic variability, the virus can adapt to infect new plant species and overcome genetic resistance in crops. “We built the infectious clone building on foundational knowledge from a clone we had made for rose rosette virus several years earlier here at Texas A&M,” Verchot said. “And using that basic knowledge, we felt confident to take on the tomato spotted wilt virus infectious clone.” Before Verchot’s research, developing infectious clones relied on extensive modification of Asian isolates and required the co-delivery of multiple replication helpers and viral silencing suppressors. These limitations made research on diseaseresistant crops less efficient. “By creating this clone, we can now advance more studies at the molecular level of virus-host interactions,” Verchot said. “We can share this clone between multiple labs nationally, so [with] research conducted in North Carolina versus Nebraska versus Texas, we can then test reproducibility of data and the value of the data because we’re all starting with the same virus.” Published in “Molecular PlantMicrobe Interactions” by the American Phytopathological Society, Verchot’s work focused on building DNA-based constructs containing the information needed to produce the virus’ RNA and proteins inside plant cells. Their research began by identifying the virus’ known genetic sequences, which are divided across three RNA segments. Much like following three separate recipes to make a cake, Verchot’s research used these segments to create three plasmids, small DNA molecules carrying DNA copies of the viral RNA segments, that could be introduced into plant cells to initiate infection. Before using the plasmids, researchers modified DNA sequences to eliminate cryptic introns, sequences that plant cells could mistakenly recognize and remove from the resulting RNA. Once modified, the plasmids were introduced into plant cells and produced systemic infection, meaning the virus spread to new tissue. To obtain evidence of viral replication, Verchot and Ball looked for green fluorescent protein, which makes plant tissue glow green under specific lighting conditions, indicating the infectious system was functioning inside the plant’s tissue. “The green fluorescent protein gene was expressed within the viral genome,” Verchot said. “In order for it to be expressed, the virus had to replicate. That gave us our first evidence that our infectious clone was infectious because it was replicating.” Ball described the difficulty of studying the virus across the U.S. as being because of the variability among plants in different regions.
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LIFE & ARTS
C2
10.29.2026
The 12th Rim: Aggie Spirit in every sip 5 Mays Business School students turn class project into business, offering Aggie-inspired drink-rimming salts, sugars By Luana Pangaio Life & Arts Writer At Texas A&M, maroon and white can be found just about everywhere, from game-day outfits to tailgate decorations. Now, thanks to five graduate students, the Aggie colors have made their way onto the rims of cocktail and mocktail glasses. Created by students in Mays Business School’s Master of Science in Business program, The 12th Rim offers Aggie-inspired drink-rimming salts and sugars. What began as a class assignment through the program’s Integrated Business Experience has become a business, with the students handling everything from product development and manufacturing to marketing and sales. The idea came together when graduate students Georgia Badurak, Hayden Raburn, Julianna Dublin, Lauren Janda and Marissa Heyward met at a coffee shop to brainstorm potential business ideas. Each brought their own ideas to the table, until the team eventually decided on a product they felt was missing from the Aggie market. Badurak, who serves as CEO, said the team wanted to create something that could become part of Aggie traditions and celebrations. “We really were interested in bringing an experience to our customers,” Badurak said. “We knew we wanted to target A&M, the Aggie market, Aggie alumni, all of that community.” They wanted something people could incorporate into festivities rather than another piece of Aggie merchandise. Raburn,
who serves as chief strategy officer, said they were looking for an idea everyone would enjoy. “We wanted to really have something that was fun, something that we would genuinely get excited about,” Raburn said. “We also wanted to make sure that our product was something that could be incorporated into all the different ways Aggies celebrate.” The business offers two blends: The Ol’ Ag, featuring maroon salt or sugar, and Gameday Spirit, a maroon and white combination. Both are available for $12, a price that Dublin, who serves as CFO, said happened to fit the company’s 12th Man-inspired branding. “We kind of picked a percentage of what we wanted to earn off it, and it also just kind of works out that it was $12 and the 12th Man and The 12th Rim,” Dublin said. “It wasn’t really on purpose. It was kind of a happy accident that it happened that way.” Before selling their products, the team had to find a manufacturer who’d agree to produce the specialized colors and packaging. Heyward, who serves as COO, oversees the company’s supply chain and inventory. “There’s really not a lot out there that is like our product, and so we had to find someone who was willing to do all of the packaging with our branding on it,” Heyward said. For several team members, the project started feeling like a real business when they pitched their idea to Aggieland Credit Union for a loan. Dublin said the experience was especially memorable. “We had to open a bank account in my name, which was scary,” Dublin said. “And then we had to talk in front of about 12 representatives of this bank and really sell to them our idea, talk about numbers and gross profit, net profit and all this stuff that was really more of a business and less of a project.” The team received the loan amount it requested, helping them move forward with production. Raburn said the presentation was one of the most rewarding moments of
the process. “We did really well, and we got exactly what we asked for,” Raburn said. “And then that moment of just being done and really proud of ourselves and our product — that was a really good feeling.” Once the salts and sugars were ready, the next challenge was spreading the word. Janda, who serves as chief marketing officer, has focused on promoting The 12th Rim through social media and local outreach. “I have been posting everywhere on Facebook and Instagram, even reaching out to news reporters and other shops in town to do pop-ups at, as well as organizations on campus,” Janda said. The team’s efforts have led to opportunities to showcase the products around Bryan-College Station, including an appearance on local news station KBTX. According to Badurak, the company started selling early. “Our very first sale was actually to the Texas A&M Hotel, which was super cool,” Badurak said. “They reached out to us. So it’s super rewarding just seeing all of that.” Beyond sales and marketing, the team has also learned how to navigate the responsibilities of running a business together. Heyward said open communication and understanding each other’s perspectives
have helped the group work through different opinions. “We all have pretty strong opinions, but also we all want what’s best for each other,” Heyward said. For Heyward, one of the most memorable moments came when she brought The 12th Rim to a murder mystery night with friends. After months of developing the product, she was finally able to share something her team had created. “It felt so rewarding to realize this is something that we made,” Heyward said. “This is something that we can use, something that everyone can buy.”
Photos courtesy of Lauren Janda
Lawrence family discovers Aggie lineage Former Head Yell Leader Zachary Lawrence ‘16 carries legacy of A&M’s first student from 1876 By Tejas Murali Life & Arts Writer Multi-generation Aggie families are often celebrated at Texas A&M; however, the Lawrence family’s Aggie legacy is particularly special, tracing a common lineage between the first Aggie, John Archibald McIver, and 2015 Head Yell Leader Zachary Lawrence ‘16. Today, Zachary, who represents the fifth generation of Aggies in his family, is married, has two daughters and works as a school psychologist. Zachary’s father, retired educator Allen “Tres” Lawrence ‘89, is McIver’s great-grandson, while 2 out of 3 of Zachary’s siblings, Zachary’s mother and several other family members are Aggies as well. Tracing the origins Tres was told that his mother’s grandfather was the first student at A&M, but his family did not have definitive proof or discuss it frequently until a family visit to the Corps of Cadets Center. “When Zach enrolled, we went to the Corps Center and we were looking around prior to a meeting,” Tres said. “And there was my great-grandfather’s picture on the wall, and so I took a picture of it and sent it to my Corps buddies and my friend Sam Myers, a classmate of mine. He called the president of the university at the time and told him, ‘You’ve got a kid on your campus who’s a fifth-generation Aggie.’” After viewing the picture, the Lawrence family was able to verify their story about McIver and began looking further into his history. “It’s even funnier, because the only reason why he was the first student was because he got there the day before school started,” Tres said. “He was from Caldwell,
Texas, which is just up the road, and he was on horseback. He couldn’t go anywhere, so he just slept under a tree, and he was the first guy in line.” According to Zachary, his family’s Aggie history is not just special in itself but also as a reminder of A&M’s Core Values and culture. “It makes me happy knowing that the generational legacy is continuing and the students we’re bringing in are always the right kinds of people,” Zachary said. “They want to continue those traditions, and it makes me happy to know that hopefully my children and my grandchildren have a chance to come to A&M as well, if they earn their way in. Obviously, I know that having the family legacy is special, but it makes me know that my university is special in a way that a lot of other places are not.” From 1876 to today Carrying forward the long-standing Aggie spirit, then-psychology junior Zachary was a Yell Leader in 2014, becoming Head Yell Leader in 2015. His newfound position came as a surprise to his family in various ways. “My oldest son, he was the most outgoing and I thought if anyone’s going to do it, it’d be him,” Tres said. “But it was Zach, the quiet one. I remember my daughter — the first time he actually was on the field, she started crying because she was so proud of her brother. And the weird thing about all that is my wife, she was just so proud of him, and she realized real quickly that he didn’t have time for her.” As a Yell Leader, Zachary attended between 250 and 300 events a year, leading to numerous rewarding interactions. “I got a chance to meet some of my idols growing up, like Lyle Lovett for example, and that was a surreal experience because I remember growing up and listening to his music,” Zachary said. “And then obviously, with the students, getting a chance to teach traditions is pretty amazing. And the sporting events themselves, I know everyone’s favorite was always football and the Midnight Yell experience. It’s definitely hard work, but every ounce of effort you put into it,
you get that back in dividends in just the rewarding feeling of doing it.” Apart from the various social activities, being an upperclassman Yell Leader meant stepping into other unexpected duties, including mentoring other Yell Leaders, attending post-game meetings and planning event schedules. “When you get to be an upperclassman Yell Leader, your job is to kind of teach the new guys that come in how to do things,” Zachary said. “You also work very closely with an advisor while you are a Yell Leader, and I got a chance to get really close with our advisor, Gerald Harris. We would meet weekly and talk about what’s going on, what needs to be improved, what events we are doing and which ones we are not going to be able to make.” Learning and paying it forward after college After getting his specialist degree in school psychology and holding multiple educational roles, Zachary is now a school psychologist, working with and evaluating students of all ages in public schools. His experience as a Yell Leader continues to impact his life. “I’d always asked the question before I was Yell Leader, ‘How do you guys manage
your grades?’” Zachary said. “I’ll never forget, the Head Yell Leader when I was a junior, Patrick McGinty [‘15], said, ‘I learned to take advantage of the small moments of time.’ And so I did that, but I took it beyond just studying. Now, as a father of two amazing girls, I always think to myself how I can maximize my time with them. I’ve only got 15 minutes till we need to get out the door to go to school, but I try to use those times to read a book or play with them, and those kinds of things.” Being a Yell Leader came with major responsibilities, but Zachary believes that his experience taught him to enjoy the smaller aspects of life, a lesson he ties in with a quote from the book “Lonesome Dove.” “A quote that I always reference is that the only real way to enjoy life and be happy is to enjoy the little everyday things,” Zachary said. “As a Yell Leader, I took that to heart too, whether it was at a coaches’ night where you’re talking to a former football player you’ve idolized, or a student at a New Student Conference who may be looking for some advice on how to fit in and be a part of the Aggie family. … So I learned to enjoy the small little everyday things and also take advantage of my time as much as possible.”
Photo courtesy of Allen “Tres” Lawrence ‘89
10.29.2026
LIFE & ARTS
C3
Unifying generations through ‘brick & stone’ A&M was founded on practical education,
paved into the ground surrounding Rudder
campus that are displayed in the exhibition,
and Horticulture Building, also known as Science Hall, which was demolished in 1963. However, 60,000 of its bricks were later repurposed in the President’s House in 1965. After being removed in 2020, the bricks were then reused at Aggie Park,
so there’s kind of these odes to our past while still embracing progress.” Ivy Mestrovic, a marketer for the exhibition, designed a virtual walking tour to guide online viewers around campus. The route explores the structures on
went in and designed the path and numbers, and my coworkers and I actually tested the route. I had a lot of fun figuring out how to bring this to life digitally so it could be used and that felt really, really good.” Reflecting the exhibition’s theme of continuity, students at the Zachry Engineering Education Complex were able to lend a helping hand to curators Muise and Lloyd. The students created mounts with wheels to uphold memorial plaques of faculty members who passed away while working at A&M. This created an easier form of transportation for the plaques, which weigh more than 200 pounds, while allowing the university to preserve the legacy of those who shaped A&M’s history. “Half of our exhibition wouldn’t have had mounts if it weren’t for the FEDC [Fischer Engineering Design Center] Lab,” Lloyd said. “I don’t know how we would’ve displayed the artifacts without them.” With the exhibition ending in Spring 2027, there is a limited window to see all of A&M’s unique artifacts in one place. While some of the fragments belong to Cushing Memorial Library & Archives, others are borrowed from outside lenders or stored in a campus facility. However, Muise is hopeful that Cushing may be able to receive the artifacts tucked away in campus facilities. “Our primary mission is to preserve the history of Texas A&M, and that’s our perpetual mission,” Muise said. “We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to retain those in the collection here so that they can have perpetual care.” One hundred and fifty years in the making, A&M’s longstanding history is able to stay alive through the materials left behind and by those who preserve them. The structures around A&M’s campus may change, but they will always serve as a reminder of the legacy built by generations of Aggies. “Anything that winds up here in the collections of Cushing is here for good,” Muise said. “They’re here to stay forever.”
and this exhibition really showcases that.” Oak. allowing viewers to visualize what campus Cushing Memorial Library & Photographs in the exhibition showcase “There’s a lot about buildings being looked like. Archives exhibition celebrates structures dating from 1875 to 1957, gone, but A&M is really good about “I took what they created, and I figured revealing individual stories from pieces of remembering history a little bit,” Lloyd out how to digitize it,” Mestrovic said. “I 150 years of change, continuity the past. One example is the Agriculture said. “So they reuse architectural items … went in and selected the locations, and I
By Kelly Garza Life & Arts Writer The cracks etched into Texas A&M’s walls have witnessed countless stories. From preparing students to serve in both World Wars to transforming an all-male school into a coeducational institution, every student has left a lasting imprint on A&M’s campus. As each Aggie graduates to tell their own story, A&M’s buildings have stood the test of time, unifying generations through a shared legacy. For A&M’s sesquicentennial, the Cushing Memorial Library & Archives opened “A Legacy Built of Brick & Stone: Remnants of 150 Years at Texas A&M University,” an exhibition that peers into the development process of A&M with historical photographs and original artifacts. The display opened Sept. 18 and will remain open until Saturday, May 15, 2027. For University Historian Ian Muise ‘92 and Sesquicentennial Archival Research Specialist Audrey Lloyd ‘25, the exhibition represents the evolution of A&M’s campus as structures were remodeled, repurposed and destroyed. The built environment is multigenerational, surpassing traditions and both students’ and faculty’s time at A&M. However, despite the transformations, the buildings have had their own personal encounters with every Aggie. “You gain insight into what was going on at Texas A&M,” Muise said. “By looking at the buildings and what’s happened to them, you get to see a glimpse of the lives of students and the people on campus.” Although A&M has undergone reconstruction over time, its foundational ideals have never been lost. Muise hopes that visitors of the exhibition can take with them the importance of A&M’s lasting legacy. “It comes back to Texas A&M being established with a land grant mission of learning by doing,” Lloyd said. “Texas
Photos by Jayden Iorizzo — THE BATTALION
The Cushing Memorial Library & Archives new exhibit showcasing memorabilia celebrating 150 years of Texas A&M University on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026.
Enter if you dare: The Woods Haunted Trail Phi Kappa Tau hosts new fundraising attraction for BCS By Chasston Garcia Life & Arts Writer
In popular culture, the visual of a crowded forest in the middle of the night acts as a classic setting for a horror film. However, for Texas A&M’s Phi Kappa Tau, the forest serves as the location for their first-ever fundraising Halloween attraction, The Woods Haunted Trail. The haunted trail opened the week of Oct. 19, and will wrap up on Saturday,
Photos by Edoardo Vannini — THE BATTALION
From top to bottom: A board with thematic art at the end of The Woods Haunted Trail on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. Two actors pose in costume in front of a “Last Chance” sign at The Woods Haunted Trail on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026.
Oct. 31, with shuttle buses located at Fan Field parking from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. to pick up and drop off guests. For international affairs junior and Philanthropy Chair Carson Koenning, The Woods offers an opportunity to give back to the local community. “Our intended audience is mostly the Brazos Valley community,” Koenning said. “We hope to entertain them [BryanCollege Station] around Halloween time, as well as give back to them through the Brazos Valley Food Bank.” Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to support both the Brazos Valley Food Bank and SeriousFun Children’s Network. “We’ll donate half of our funds to each organization, and then we’ll also encourage donations in person in the form of food cans,” Koenning said. “You’ll get a discount on your ticket.” The donations collected from the haunted trail are expected to have a significant impact on the Brazos Valley Food Bank. According to Brazos Valley Food Bank Communications and Events Manager Katie Egan ‘18, community fundraising efforts like Phi Kappa Tau’s have an importance. “We want to stress we’re incredibly thankful for partnerships of college students and third-party fundraisers that keep us running and make sure that our operations are possible,” Egan said. “So thank you to the effort of this fraternity [Phi Kappa Tau] to make sure that The Woods is going to be successful to help serve the Brazos Valley Food Bank’s neighbors.” Furthermore, the manner in which The Woods Haunted Trail collects its donations supports the Brazos Valley Food Bank extensively, as noted by Operations Director Ebony Knight. “This type of fundraiser and food drive helps in twofold,” Knight said. “We definitely need the immediate food that we have in our hands that we can immediately get out to our neighbors. That helps put food on their table today, but then the monetary donations come in and that’s an overwhelming support.” Phi Kappa Tau’s effort in the organization and construction of the haunted attraction has also been a timely collective effort, as observed by finance junior and Chairman Royce Wood. “It’s been a long, long process with many different steps,” Wood said. “And that’s kind of the beauty of it. Seeing so many people so passionate about it. Not just for a week, or not just for the two weeks that it’s running, but throughout the entire semester, and even the summer.” In putting together the fundraiser, Phi Kappa Tau has also drawn support from
other Greek life chapters on campus. “We’ve already spoken to a few sororities and women’s organizations,” Koenning said. “And we promote and encourage the girls to sign up to be nuns, which are just guides for the guests that come.” While collaborating with other Greek chapters through The Woods, Phi Kappa Tau is also hosting a friendly rivalry to encourage further involvement in the fundraiser. “We’re actually currently doing a competition between all the sororities,” Wood said. “We’re doing a T-shirt competition, a sales competition. Through there, we collect points and see how everyone comes together and really contributes to the competition.” Guests can additionally expect handcrafted mazes highlighting the fraternity members’ creativity. These have been a special feature of the project for agribusiness junior and Assistant Philanthropy Chair Gus Mushinski. “Different scene leaders come up with their own ideas,” Mushinski said. “And they come from these different walks of life and what they think people are going to enjoy, what they find scary. It’s kind of cool to see how different people use different materials.” While the haunted trail’s core initiative focuses on benefiting and entertaining the Bryan-College Station area, the event offers another opportunity for Phi Kappa Tau to represent A&M. “We’re here to serve,” Mushinski said. “I think that’s what we’re called to. Not only as men, but also as members of A&M as students. [Selfless] Service is one of our core values, and really giving back to the community, I think, this is what we’re all here for. That really echoes this philanthropy event.” Those interested in The Woods are encouraged to utilize the transportation available on campus. “We have university buses going back and forth,” Wood said. “You’ll get in a big group and you’ll all be transported over to the property [North Dowling Road].” Despite the time-consuming and collaborative effort involved in organizing the event, Koenning emphasized the importance of the event being organized and subsequently put on by Aggies. “The Woods is much more than just a haunted house, a student-run haunted house,” Koenning said. “It is very cool to see what students can do and put together, and more than that it is just incredible to see who we can serve and how we can give back while also making it fun.”
OPINION
C4
10.29.2026
Satire: Aggie Witch’s desensitization potion An excerpt pulled directly from page 12 of the renowned Gig ‘em Grimoire By Maeva Elizabé Opinion Editor Note from the grimoire keeper: In preserving the authenticity of the following entry — namely, the spookiness and witchiness — the potion’s directives have been transcribed exactly as Reveille, the First Witch of Aggieland, has chosen to disclose her secrets. Verbatim. The poetry-averse and Halloween killjoys beware. Intent & manifestation
Purchase and support as they labor for profit, Not their own, but that of the market. Don’t resist, give in to the mounting pressure Of peers who coax and jeer for the pleasure. Book the flight, what’s the worst that could happen? Catch some Z’s in the safety of the flying coffin.
But don’t rush to fret, your concern is unwarranted Since who would part willingly with a soul so corrupted? And the big red button? Let’s be realistic. Not the potion’s kill switch — but there’s no need to go ballistic.
Run the shady park! Wander the dark street! The thumping of a stalker’s feet does not merit retreat.
For neutralizing agents the launched particles may not be, However, rest assured that in a way, you would be free.
Equal parts of the prescriptions above And embrace the dehumanization they assure of. Light the match and watch as the draught combusts, Allow time for effect or until the moral compass rusts.
The slighter the fright, the more receptive to plight Be he the empath, stripped wholly of wrath.
Observed anomalies, notes on potency & stability
Foresee the utopia and reap your reward Of a faith in humanity doubly restored.
No known fix, I’m afraid, alas Once ingested, all you can do is touch grass.
Kindle the arsonists’ spark! Join the docile gangs! Blood spilt is merely charitable to those with fangs.
If more then merrier, if less then scarier When a stab, a shot, a running of blood red hot.
Thus lighten your heart, your mind and your soul By concocting the 12th Man elixir of old.
Antidote
To boost and amplify the desensitization Repeated exposure is best for saturation. But the preparation extends beyond just the mental For phone pinky is a cost of such high empathetic potential.
Of similar nature Not yet obtained that coveted optimism? Brew these potions that will help bridge the schism. Lettuce and blueberries and eggs and peppers For all you food poisoning hopefuls and gambling meal preppers. Spend your days joyously hunched over the loo Instead of gallivanting miserably beneath the repulsive sky blue.
As neural circuits rewire (a handy compassion redactor) Take a strong dose of cynicism to dull the shock factor.
Gain faith in quality control, no need for diligent inspection, Trust in blissful ignorance, bid a good day to circumspection.
Rid yourself of that foolish loathing Vigilance is a nuisance; they’re just sheep in wolf ’s clothing.
And doomsayers rejoice, a dystopian existence draws near When you take this elixir that makes technophobia appear.
With Instagram feed become black-pill fed, Enter the mind of a pedophilic head.
No villager will come running even if the boy does cry wolf For the force of numbing is sure to engulf.
Job-snatching, killer-bot-activating, artificial intelligence, Which have we empowered, benevolence or malevolence?
Taunt and tattle with an anonymity complex, Loud be the echo chambers of Discord and X.
So mind how swift the activation be Or lament the loss of toe-stubbing glee.
And should we prove to be the engineers of our own destruction Just take another swig of the desensitization concoction.
Up the death count and bright burns the flame Of a violent disposition from a video game.
Consume without filter and store where leak prone, Encourage others to participate, it’s no fun alone.
But most importantly, you must remember These parting words that I surrender:
Nightly news and daily reports, Embrace the explicit as your worldview distorts.
Introduce catalysts or experiment with ambience instead, I find dissonant chords pair well with psychological dread.
A reel of film makes so real the thrill The sights and sounds and allure of the kill.
My final caution is for the heavy lidded As this tonic induces drowsiness, during slasher films included.
When the witching hour descends and the veil is lifted, When you’ve lost the apathy with which you’ve been gifted, It means the woeful end of reprieve And you must allow yourself to grieve
Materia magica First, a screen, a window of truth With which to banish the ignorance of youth. TikTok the source, tick tock the clock, Waste the hours doomscrolling amok.
Follow the algorithm, trust in its content Should it show you vulgarity without your consent. True crime novels and podcasts and docs Seek to clear the mental blocks.
But this is to be expected, because adrenaline flows slower Once you’ve become accustomed to the marvelously grim fate of real-life human fodder.
That monsters roam the streets on more than just All Hallows’ Eve. Maeva Elizabé is a neuroscience senior and chemistry minor and opinion editor for The Battalion.
Satire: Spirit Halloween debuts at iconic BCS locations Halloween store to set up shop at Century Tree, ILCB stairs, additional spooky spots By Marie Kneeland Opinion Writer Spirit Halloween, a costume store known for its highquality imported plastic costumes and direct connections with Chinese production factories, has decided to expand its empire. This week, Spirit Halloween has broken ground for three new locations on the Texas A&M campus. Construction to hang the weather-proof signs has already begun. “Texas A&M is an untapped market,” CEO Stephen Silverstein said. “Right now, we have five locations planned. But there’s always room for expansion!” The first location to get the iconic orange-and-yellow banner is the Century Tree located next to the Academic Building. “Nothing is scarier than a committed relationship,” Silverstein said. The CEO has been notoriously single. “Besides, couples costumes make some serious bank!” He has also revealed some blueprints for pop-up stores on the Aggie Spirit buses. After all, it is in the name. “They aren’t crowded enough,” Silverstein continued. “Hopefully the new pop-ups will draw those much-needed crowds!” For most of its new locations, however, Spirit Halloween has attempted to find fairly empty or abandoned areas. This
building plan is in line with its usual business maneuvers of taking over the hollowed-out shells of shut-down stores. “Honestly, I was surprised by what we found in College Station,” Location Manager Fallon Leaves said. “There was the third deck of Kyle Field, of course, but we knew that would be empty. But imagine my surprise to find a perfectly usable staircase, almost completely unused!” That’s right, folks — the stairs in the ILCB are getting a Spirit Halloween. Early zoning plans suggest the costume store will be located at the top of the stairs. Early economic reports suggest that the new location mainly targets pilates enthusiasts and gym bros. In a statement to The Battalion Leaves noted that they are looking at Heldenfels and other gloomy buildings, but Silverstein is adamant the atmosphere isn’t quite right. “The buildings are greige, sure, but there’s too many people in them for a Spirit Halloween,” Silverstein said. “I don’t know why, but it’s a popular place. Might as well put a Spirit Halloween on Northgate!” He seemed to think this a ridiculous idea. Silverstein hopes to carry out Spirit Halloween’s mission statement, which is to offer a one-of-a-kind experience, unmatched in the industry, through these new locations. “A&M is just the place,” Silverstein told one correspondent. “I’ve never met anyone like the Aggies.” So far, the student body’s reaction to these new stores has been mixed. Some enjoy the convenience that having an on-campus Spirit Halloween provides. “I always forget to get a Halloween costume,” mortuary sciences junior Rylee Melen said. “It’s nice to have a place
to get one that’s a short walk away. Only 25 minutes!” Others have found a more practical use for the spooky shop. “I hate doing laundry,” gothic literature freshman Mark Wines said. “Now I can just buy new clothes instead and throw the old ones out! I’ve gotten a few weird looks in class, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” Silverstein also plans to release a new line of exclusive Halloween costumes and accessories to be sold on campus. His marketing team advised the release of these new products after reading several studies suggesting that college students are not scared easily. “It took us a long time to come up with these new costumes,” Head of Marketing Lisa Barr admitted. “What would make the Aggies scream? Ghostface isn’t good enough. But I’m proud of what our team came up with.” Among the designs is the classic “two-percenter,” which comes with a small Kyle Field bench to sit down on and a hat to wear in the MSC. Wearers should prepare to be hissed at throughout the night. Barr also stocked a section of burnt-orange clothing. “We wanted to make sure people could dress up as a Texas Longhorn,” Barr said proudly. Our staff agrees Barr might be on to something with this one; bad football teams scare us, too. As of publishing, other scary costume options include an 8 a.m. class, a scooter rider and an 8-4 football season. Marie Kneeland is an English honors sophomore and an opinion writer for The Battalion.
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Austin Ryan Stallman February 13, 2005 - September 29, 2026
SILVER TAPS
D2
10.29.2026
Austin Ryan Stallman February 13, 2005 - September 29, 2026
An Aggie empowered by faith and community Austin Ryan Stallman, a university studies, architecture - global arts, planning, design and construction senior, was the epitome of “light of the room.” His family described him as intelligent, humorous and a work hard, play hard guy. “Austin was just that guy that would just make a bad time great,” his father, Leonard Stallman, said. “Or if there was a notso-good situation, he’d find a way to make light of it.” From a young age, Austin spent the majority of his time outside. His passion for fishing and sports, as well as his love for animals, built Austin into the outdoorsman he was. “All through his life, even growing up as a little boy, he was never inside,” his mother, Jeanna Stallman, said. “And if he wasn’t outside here at our house, playing basketball or throwing the football with somebody that would throw the football with him, he’s going to be fishing. There are ponds around our neighborhood, and he would go fish in a pond. He loved it outdoors.” Austin grew up as the middle child alongside his older sister, Carolynn Stallman ‘23, and Dylan Stallman, his younger brother.
“He had a great relationship with his sister,” Leonard said. “And he’s got a younger brother that has special needs. He’s been diagnosed with autism and IDD. And he was always a really big help throughout his younger years, helping raise him, if you will.” Austin’s road to becoming an Aggie stemmed from his desire to study construction science and to be in an environment that fostered his dream of becoming a Navy SEAL. “[Texas] A&M has a great school for what he was trying to achieve,” Leonard said. “And, you know, it also had that military component, even though he wasn’t in the Corps [of Cadets].” During his time at A&M, Austin connected with a men’s organization, Ol’ AGS. There, his parents said, he found his purpose, standing for its core values and building a brotherhood with his fellow members. “I will tell you that I know how important those men in that group are to him and the fellowship and the relationships that he built there,” Leonard said. “It was second to none. He treated those guys like family. They’re stand-up young men that will be
successful in life. Very respectful and just real genuine people through the core.” Austin’s parents credit his desire to be a Navy SEAL to his competitive nature, claiming that his drive and accolades in multiple sports contributed to his pursuit of service to America. “He ended up being on the state championship bass fishing team for Angleton High School three years in a row,” Leonard said. “From his sophomore year, junior year to his senior year, he was a two-time regional qualifier for pole vaulting. And he played football all the way through his senior year.” Austin prided himself on his faith, having come to know Jesus from an early age. He shared the salvation of the Lord with many friends during his time at A&M, and his parents had the honor of hearing from those friends at Good Bull, where Austin used to work, during a celebration of life held in his honor. “Hearing that he shared his faith with other young people makes me so incredibly proud,” Jeanna said. “And I’m so thankful that those young people told us those stories.” Since then, numerous blood drives have
been held in Austin’s name to help those in need. “The blood drive has been pretty amazing,” Jeanna said. “I’ve lost count of how many have been held in his honor. Yesterday, a friend told me that when they were coordinating another one for next week, I think we’re close to, like, 3,000 patients being able to have blood donated because of someone donating in Austin’s honor. So that just makes me so proud, too. That’s really awesome.” To Austin’s family, the Aggie Network has been a blessing to showcase how loved he was. “The impact he had on everyone else’s life and how much people enjoyed him, not just his family,” Jeanna said. “It was also very eye opening and was a blessing for us to have that opportunity. I also want to say, just the Aggie Spirit during this time and the support from all Aggies, whether they’re current or past Aggies, the outreach, the outgoing support during these hard times has been amazing.”
SILVER TAPS Tuesday, November 3, at 10:30 p.m. at Academic Plaza Warning: There will be gun sounds at the ceremony. Please remember to remain quiet upon arrival.
NOVEMBER SPEAKERS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3
A Conversation With Arch “Beaver” Aplin III ’80
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13
Redefining What’s Possible
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18
Aggie Excellence & Athletic Achievement
4-5 p.m. / Rudder Theatre
1:30-3 p.m. / Rudder Theatre
6-7 p.m. / Rudder Theatre
For more information about Sesquicentennial Speaker Series events, visit 150.TAMU.EDU