LIFE & ARTS
Graduate student, business owner Zoë Tsoukalas brings matcha stand to Austin, Dallas, heart of Aggieland A4
Flyover pilot carries on tradition
Conductor of flyover against Utah State, Coast Guard pilot Lt. Nicholas Mrak ‘18 shares his game-day experience
By Sophia Munoz Life & Arts Writer
Aggies line the seats with hands across their hearts as “The Star-Spangled Banner” bellows throughout Kyle Field. As the anthem comes to an end, a moment of silent pride begins to shift as a distinctive hum sounds in the distance — the aircraft of a game-day flyover.
On Sept. 6, U.S. Coast Guard Standardization Team Officer Lt. Nicholas Mrak ‘18 served as an aircraft commander on a Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphin during the flyover before the Utah State game, along with other pilots.
Born in Okinawa, Japan, Nicholas was surrounded by military influence as his father, Douglas Mrak ‘90, served in the Marines for most of his childhood. Like most military families, Nicholas was never in one place for long. It wasn’t until his early adolescent years that his family had somewhere to call home.
big heart for people.”
Nicholas’ family says many of his core values and traits make him fit for military service and helping others, making it no surprise that out of his siblings, he was the one to follow in his father’s footsteps. However, for Nicholas, this wasn’t always the case. Graduating from Texas A&M in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife & fisheries sciences and involvement in the Corps of Cadets, he initially had aspirations to manage ranches — among them Joshua Creek Ranch.
In December 2018, Nicholas was drawn to the idea of serving his country, which led him to join the U.S. Coast Guard as a direct commission officer before being picked for flight school a little over a year into the position. After training, Nicholas flew his first plane in 2020, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk.
“The easiest way to relate it, is probably thinking all the way back to driver’s ed or
inspired those around him, including Kate, who wrapped up her career in teaching to join the Coast Guard.
“I would say four branches that were offered for the DOD [Department of Defense], really never sung to me, I wasn’t really sold to each one of them,” Kate said. “ … My twin, Nick, actually went to the Coast Guard. That was his passion and goal almost right off the bat after graduating from A&M. … A big part of what the Coast Guard does is Selfless Service, helping others and that really struck me because that’s kind of like the derivative of who I am.”
With Selfless Service as a guiding principle of Coast Guard personnel, Nicholas saw his opportunity to participate in the gameday flyover as an honor to represent one of A&M’s Core Values.
If you asked me seven years ago if I would be doing a flyover for a game, I never would have thought of that idea. So when I got the opportunity to say yes to that, to be an aircraft commander in the three-man ship, it was super cool.
Lt. Nicholas Mrak ‘18
Nicholas was selected to participate in the game-day flyover by his captain in the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Corpus Christi, Charles Wilson. Though viewed as an honor and bragging right among Aggie former students — the Corps of Cadets in particular — Nicholas remained humble and composed.
U.S. Coast Guard Standardization Team Officer
“When people ask me where am I from, I do say North Carolina, and I would say the same for both my brothers,” sister Kate Mrak ‘18 said. “I mean, that is our home base, and that’s where we all call home and are very familiar with.”
Growing up, Kate shared a close bond with Nicholas not only as his sister, but as his twin.
Though the two are the same age, Kate has always seen Nicholas as an older brother, defending her when she needed him most. One of her fondest memories of their dynamic was when Nicholas intervened and stopped her high school bully.
“I remember verbatim the kid actually came to our front door and apologized to me directly, and it was all influenced by my twin just talking to him and saying, ‘Hey, there’s really no reason to pick on her, she hasn’t really done anything,’” Kate said. “And I think it just speaks to how he is, right? He doesn’t want to see anyone treated unfairly. He has a
Tuition and general fees are just $203 per semester credit hour.
driving a car for the first time, it could be overwhelming,” Nicholas said. “There’s a lot of moving pieces, a lot of things going on. You’re using all sensory skills, your eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet. As you continue to do it more and more, it becomes easier, it becomes second nature.”
For the past five years, Nicholas has been serving as a Coast Guard pilot, carrying out mariner search-and-rescue missions and providing aviation support to interventions against illegal drug and fishing operations.
“Nick likes excitement and danger,” Nicholas’ mother, Edith Mrak, said. “He’s my daredevil child, but he has the tenacity to help people in a bad situation. He’s the guy you want to see coming on your worst day.”
With his duties as a Coast Guard pilot, Nicholas often sees people on their hardest days. Notably, he was involved as a pilot in the search-and-rescue missions for this past summer’s Texas Hill Country flash-flooding catastrophe. Positive impacts like these have
“I adore my twin,” Kate said. “He’s such a humble human being. At the moment, I think it didn’t even seem to faze him just because of how humble he is. It was just another day at work for him. It’s like a very proud moment for him, and I do know that he was just over the moon. He’s a very stoic person, and he will not let you know how excited he is and sometimes it’s hard to gauge how he really feels about something, but I know for him, that was an exceptional moment, something he will take away for the rest of his life.”
Though Nicholas flew over a crowd erupting in cheers, he cherishes the moment he got to stand on Kyle Field during halftime.
“It’s a wild feeling,” Nicholas said. “If you asked me seven years ago if I would be doing a flyover for a game, I never would have thought of that idea. So when I got the opportunity to say yes to that, to be an aircraft commander in the three-man ship, it was super cool. … There’s so many aviators that come out of A&M across all the services and to be one of the Aggies that gets to stand on the field and show your unit or say, ‘I graduated from here’ is super special.”
SPORTS
After upsetting then-No. 9 Texas, Florida looks to roll No. 5 Texas A&M, hand Aggies their first 2025 loss A6
Former Texas state legislator Tommy Williams named Texas A&M’s new interim president
Former state representative, vice chancellor for governmental relations for A&M System unanimously approved by Board of
By David Swope Associate News Editor
Regents
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents appointed Tommy Williams ‘78 as interim president on Friday, Oct. 3, following the resignation of former President Mark A. Welsh III.
Williams, previously a Republican Texas state representative and senator from Texas’ Fourth Senate District and vice chancellor of governmental relations for the A&M System before his retirement in 2018, was unanimously approved by the Board. He takes the role of president from Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs James R. Hallmark, Ph.D., who served as acting president following Welsh’s resignation.
“Periods of transition can create uncertainty, but they can also offer clarity or purpose,” Chancellor Glenn Hegar wrote in an email distributed to faculty, staff and students shortly following the announcement. “Our mission and our values — Excellence, Integrity, Leadership, Loyalty, Respect and Selfless Service — remain constant.”
During his three-term tenure in the state senate from 2003 to 2013, Williams chaired the administration committee, transportation and homeland security committee and finance committee.
Williams also served as a senior advisor to Gov. Greg Abbott from 2017 to 2019. He graduated from A&M with a degree in business administration in 1978.
“I’m honored to return to Texas A&M in this capacity,” Williams said in a statement released by the A&M System. “This university means a great deal to me, and I look forward to working with students, faculty, staff and former students to support the continued excellence of this great institution.”
The Board continues its national search for a permanent replacement.
On Tuesday, the System announced a search committee to find the next permanent president of the university.
“This is a committee of accomplished leaders who know exactly what makes Texas A&M University special,” Hegar said in a news release. “They understand our rich traditions, our mission, and our grit. I’m confident they’ll bring us a leader who will lead Texas A&M with the same passion and purpose that built it.”
The committee inlcudes three Regents, Student Body President Carter Mallory, the commandant of the Corps of Cadets, Director of Athletics Trev Alberts and a variety of professors and administrators.
Tilly Hillje THE BATTALION
Two Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphins fly over College Station during the flyover for Texas A&M football’s game against Utah State on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025.
Samuel Falade THE BATTALION
Texas A&M Campus on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
Spend Saturday with Texas A&M Wake
Aggie club makes waves as loudest boat, closest group of students on Lake Bryan’s shore
By Kennedy Long Life & Arts Writer
As “Sick Love” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers plays at full volume, 10 members of Texas A&M Wakeboarding, or TAMU Wake, ght for seats on the crowded wake boat cruising across Lake Bryan on a hot Saturday afternoon, an activity done so frequently, it’s ritual.
The overlapping conversations about handmade “tonchos,” unconventional freeze-dried foods and recollections of the members’ biggest fails to date quickly establish that while TAMU Wake functions like a team, it operates more like a family when it’s time to hit the water for a long day of riding.
TAMU Wake members work hard yearround to ensure that days like this exist, from nding sponsors to fund their trips to hosting their own annual competitions at Lake Bryan and welcoming new members every fall, according to former president of TAMU Wake and kinesiology senior Ellie Patrick.
At its core, TAMU Wake is a group of students who come together to celebrate friendships that last long after graduation, Patrick said.
The wake boat made its way to the middle of Lake Bryan, where accounting senior Preston Spears grabbed a board and a jacket as the rst rider up. As Spears began his rst set of the day, the anticipation from his teammates was palpable.
The acoustics from the lake set the scene, glinting the rays of the midday sun across the teak wood deck of the boat and projecting the day’s soundtrack across the waves. Sixty- ve feet behind the boat, Spears lifted out of the water as the wake rope went taut.
Spears cut wide o the starboard side of the boat, then carved a deep path through
vidual progress and encourage each other,” Beller said. “We love to capture lighthearted crash videos for our ‘Wipeout Wednesday’ collection on our Instagram, both for entertainment and to remind riders that wipeouts are inevitable at any level.”
Beller joined TAMU Wake as a sophomore struggling to nd her place at A&M. According to Beller, what she found within the club was lifelong friendships and the people with whom she does everything, from cross-country road trips to bible study and weekend cookouts.
“TAMU Wake taught me to try new things, to never give up and that your community matters,” Beller said. “Before I joined, I was too scared to put myself out there and try new things, but now I’ve learned that I can do whatever I put my mind to, and I can encourage others like me along the way.”
Computer science senior Robert Longo was the second rider of the day, jumping the wake from left to right with relative ease as he got used to the conditions. As Longo went for the rst trick of his set, the edge of his board clipped the wake, pulling him under before he got o the wave. Still lming, Barr panned over to Patrick with the camera and captured her expression — a mixture of confusion and laughter painted on her face.
With little time to process his fall, “Pocketful of Sunshine” by Natasha Beding eld began playing through the speakers. Instinctively, nance junior and helmsman Caden Sharp turned the music up once again as the entire team broke out singing wildly.
Back up for another ride, Longo regained his bearings and jumped the wake several more times, as the riders in the boat continued performing their screaming rendition of Beding eld’s hit. Longo went for a ip, but caught the edge of his board again and sprawled across the water on his back. The singing stopped, replaced by empathetic expressions and quiet condolences. Communication sophomore Kaitlin Earwood jokingly asked the boat for a moment of silence for Longo.
“The team supplies high-quality boards,
The people on this team are what make it so special. When someone is going through a tough time, the whole team rallies around them. It is rare to find that kind of support system, and it is one of the things I value most.
Kate Warren University Studies Senior
the water, sending an arc of spray behind him. As Spears hit the wake and suspended ve feet above the surface, time stilled.
Over the center of the wake, he reached down, grabbed the edge of his board and pulled it close to his body — gaining another foot of clearance. As his board touched back down on the opposite side of the wake, the boat erupted in cheers and praise for the rst-year member.
“Our team accepts riders of all levels; that’s what makes it so special,” Patrick said. “The whole group loves learning and encouraging each other, no matter how much experience a rider has.”
Entering her fourth year with TAMU Wake, Patrick said the most endearing thing about the team is the way that more experienced riders always step up to encourage and critique those learning new skills.
“We also have people who have never had the opportunity to get out on the water,” Patrick said. “Watching those members improve and fall in love with the sport is the best feeling.”
As Spears nished out his set, he attempted a heelside backroll — a move that requires a rider to position the wake behind them in order to front ip o it before landing back on top of the water. Spears completed the ip, his head just inches away from the surface as he turned and hit the wake at an awkward angle on the way down, the wake rope going slack as it lost its rider.
The video camera operated by mechanical engineering junior and TAMU Wake President Travis Barr caught footage of Spears’ clipped landing, playing back the exact moment he rolled across the water.
With Spears waiting in the water, Barr reviewed the footage with Patrick as the boat swung around to pick him up.
“I feel like [Spears is] not scooping,” Patrick said. “He needs to keep the handle with him when he ips.”
After several more attempts, Spears’ set concluded, and the gear swap between riders ensued. Between sets, the girls on the boat moved for a picture, led by psychology senior Jacqueline Beller — one of many members who love to photograph the team. Beller told all six girls to lie across the back of the boat, laughing as they stacked together to t in the frame.
“We don’t have a designated photographer; instead, members take videos and photos for every set so we can track indi-
lifejackets, ropes, boat gas and, of course, the boat,” Patrick said. “Members truly just need to show up.”
While TAMU Wake supplies all necessary gear, many members still bring their own. Patrick said it’s not unusual to see older members o ering up their gear for newer members to try before going out to make a purchase.
Since wakeboarding gear tends to be expensive, Patrick says she is grateful that her team is willing to swap boards to get used to di erent brands and shapes as the season progresses.
According to TAMU Wake’s Instagram, the team practices almost every day of the week on Lake Bryan, competes in collegiate wakeboarding competitions year-round and hosts their own annual competition called Wake Up. Last year’s Wake Up competition was their 12th annual competition and was sponsored by Red Bull at Texas Ski Ranch.
“It’s special because we get to be so involved in making it [Wake Up] happen, from organizing logistics to working with sponsors,” university studies senior Kate Warren said. “Last spring, I worked with Ellie and the o cer team to put it together, and it was incredible seeing it all come to life.”
With the organization welcoming 38 new members this fall, Warren said adding riders to the boat every year is one of the biggest highlights of the semester.
“The people on this team are what make it so special,” Warren said. “When someone is going through a tough time, the whole team rallies around them. It is rare to nd that kind of support system, and it is one of the things I value most.”
As the boat turned around to head for shore, the team lounged casually along the vinyl seats of the wake boat telling stories and making plans. On land, the next group of riders impatiently waited, ready for the hours of riding ahead of them.
The incoming riders raced down the hill, gear hanging from every available limb as they called for their friends to save them a seat. Within minutes, Sharp steered the boat away again with a fresh set of riders and a new cameraman on board. As the day was reaching its end, the team was still out there.
“We never miss an opportunity to watch the sunset together after a long day of riding,” Patrick said. “It’s just another reason this team is so special.”
Photo courtesy of Bailee McEwan
Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Beller
Photo courtesy of Bailee McEwan
Photo courtesy of TAMU Wake
Accessibility made simple
Giving event sheds light on nonprofit with mission to build ramps for Texas’ homebound
By Jolie Jackson News Writer
Brazos Valley Gives is an 18-hour online giving campaign that will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The event will give the Brazos Valley community the opportunity to unite by raising money for local nonpro t organizations. Early giving is currently live and will remain open until Monday, Oct. 20.
One of the nonpro t organizations featured in the event is the Texas Ramp Project, a statewide nonpro t organization that improves the accessibility of lower-income homes with free wheelchair ramps. Its vision is that “No Texas resident shall lack safe access because of nancial limitations.”
The Brazos Valley branch of the Texas Ramp Project is mostly made up of retirees. These volunteers work with the student participants of Representing A&M by Performing Service, or RAMPS, to build wheelchair ramps in the seven-county region.
“The need is great,” Texas Ramp Project Board Director Roy Harrington said. “We have people that have been trapped either in or out of their home for months. Many
of them can’t even go out and sit on the porch because there’d be a seven-inch drop. They’re just stuck.”
Harrington is a retired industrial engineer who serves the organization as a board director. As a dedicated volunteer, he has contributed to many success stories.
“We built a ramp for a lady and not too long after, [I heard] the news talking about a re,” Harrington said. “They named the street where the ramp was, and it turned out to be her house that burned. The ramp that we built was used to get her out of the house.”
The Texas Ramp Project averages two and a half accessibility ramps per week in the Brazos Valley, with its longest being a 94-foot-long ramp. Clients are selected from the quali ed referrals of healthcare providers, social workers or community organizations.
Each semester, the project assigns six of these clients to the campus RAMPS program. The building days usually fall on a Saturday or Sunday and last three to four hours.
Landscape architecture junior and RAMPS Internal Relations O cer Reagan Sewell is in charge of ensuring the student volunteers work cohesively while building.
“We need to be able to trust each other and get closer because during builds, we interact with dangerous tools,” Sewell said. “It’s really important to build those bonds outside of the builds, and that’s my purpose. It seems simple, but I make people like peo-
Researchers create light-controlled gene therapy
PhoBIT allows scientists to switch cellular functions, paving way for breakthroughs
By Yelisey Romanov News Writer
Researchers at Texas A&M’s Health Science Center have developed a photo-inducible binary interaction tool, or PhoBIT, system — one made to regulate gene therapy, cell signaling and even cell death.The system acts as a light switch, allowing researchers to control cellular processes with extraordinary precision.
“We wanted a way to control biology with a tiny light switch,” PhoBIT researcher and co-author of the PhoBIT paper Dr. Tien-Hung Lan said. “Most existing tools are bulky and can interfere with normal protein function. By redesigning a natural tag-and-binder pair to respond to light, we created PhoBIT — a small, precise tool that lets scientists turn cellular pathways on or o with pinpoint accuracy.”
PhoBIT’s novel approach to gene and cellular regulation promises to revolutionize immunotherapy, regenerative medicine and cancer therapy.
Traditional cancer treatment relies on methods that, while e ective, can cause a wide variety of harmful side e ects. According to the National Cancer Institute, treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy can cause neutropenia — a decrease in white blood cells, lymphedema — painful swelling in a particular area of the body that raises the risk of infection — and blood clots.
“Most cancer therapies, like gene or immunotherapies, have high potential but come with serious side e ects,” Lan said. “While they can e ectively kill cancer cells, they can also interfere with the normal immune system.These adverse e ects are a major concern because, in targeting the tumor, the treatments may unintentionally harm healthy cells or disrupt overall immune function.”
To address the fundamental limitations of existing tools and the critical need for precision in therapeutics, A&M’s team engineered the PhoBIT system.
PhoBIT innovates the way in which cancer can be treated by providing a safer and more precise option for treatment. It works by using blue light to guide an amino acid called sspB and allowing it to bind to ssrA, which manipulates gene and protein function.
In turn, the ssPB amino acid is able to react to light because of its fusion with a light sensitive domain called LOV2. When LOV2 is in PhoBIT1 — or the state in which it’s not exposed to light — it causes sspB to cease protein interactions. On the other hand, when LOV2 is in PhoBIT2 — or exposed to light — it allows sspB to bind to ssrA and activate protein interactions.
“Because it only requires a seven-amino acid tag, PhoBIT is far less likely to disrupt natural protein function,” Lan said. “The same tag can be used to switch protein activity o or on with light, giving researchers exible control over cellular processes. This reversible and precise system has been applied to diverse areas, from gene editing and immune signaling to cancer pathways, and has already shown therapeutic potential by shrinking tumors in animal models.”
ple.”
Sewell is one of four RAMPS student leaders, along with nancial management graduate student and President Daniel Bunting, nutrition senior and External Relations Coordinator Robert Wagner and business honors junior and Construction O cer Layton Schawe.Together, they guide an average of 15 team members through each build.
The team said they take pride in leaving the building site better than they found it, even if that includes making repairs beyond their original task.
During a recent build on Oct. 5, they xed the stability of a nearby playground set and salvaged old stairs in addition to completing the ramp.
“Our purpose is to not run as a normal organization, but to help in any ways possible,” Sewell said. “That’s our whole goal. We don’t have socials, we don’t have point requirements, we don’t have really high dues. We are just here to help.”
Along with ongoing projects, RAMPS volunteers check the status of past builds to ensure that their work has lasted throughout the years. Bunting said that seeing the immediate impact of the team’s work is very rewarding.
“A lot of times, the family will come out, and you can see the smiles as they use the ramp for the rst time,” Bunting said. “It’s so cool, and it touches my heart a little bit. It’s amazing how a couple of hours out of our day can change someone’s life.”
PhoBIT’s simple yet advanced design allows it to precisely control protein interactions and cellular processes. In gene regulation, when blue light is dimmed, gene expression is halted; when light is turned on, gene expression resumes seamlessly, allowing scientists to make split-second alterations to gene activity.
Furthermore, in cell signaling, PhoBIT is attached to a receptor that normally relies on hormonal signals, allowing cellular interaction to be modi ed instantly. As a result, PhoBIT enables scientists to study cellular processes more precisely and in real time, opening avenues for improved biological research.
“PhoBIT allows gene and protein therapies to be switched on only when needed, enabling safer, more controllable dosing,” Lan said. “Because the parts are small, they’re easier to package into standard delivery systems used in medicine.”
PhoBIT’s applications also extend to improved cancer therapy. The research team developed a synthetic protein that binds to BCR-ABL, a leukemia-driving protein, when exposed to light. This approach allows therapies to target speci c areas a ected by cancer, preventing healthy tissues from being damaged
“PhoBIT can con ne anti-cancer activity to the tumor with a beam of light, helping protect healthy tissue,” Lan said. “In early mouse studies, this targeted control slowed tumor growth, pointing to a new layer of safety and precision.”
While PhoBIT has demonstrated precise control in the lab, the next step for the team is to translate these capabilities into therapies that can be e ective for human patients. The team also aims to lay the groundwork for further related studies that could transform medical and biological research.
Top to bottom: Students help remove and build a ramp on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. Student helps build a ramp on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025.
Photos courtesy of Reagan Sewell
Mobile matcha cart serves Aggieland
Fueled by her love for matcha, like-minded friendships, Zoë Tsoukalas turns her passion into budding business success
By Kaitlyn Cates Life & Arts Writer
Accounting graduate student Zoë Tsoukalas has always been an entrepreneur.
She started her rst business, Zoläla Designz, where she sold handcrafted clothing and jewelry, in 2019. This summer, she founded Zoläla Matcha, a fully mobile matcha cart bringing handcrafted drinks directly to customers.
Three weeks into her corporate summer accounting internship for BDO, Tsoukalas spent her free time trying matcha at new cafes in the Dallas area. Her love for quality matcha has grown over the years, but after trying di erent places in Dallas, she felt something was missing.
An idea formed in her mind, and she was inspired to blend the aspects of all her favorite cafes into her own business. With the help of her boyfriend, Raul Bustillos, and a couple trips to Lowe’s, they built a custom matcha drink cart complete with eye-catching pink and green stripes.
For the remainder of the summer, Tsoukalas spent her free time taste-testing ceremonial-grade matchas imported directly from Japan and developing recipes for her homemade syrups. About 30 brands of matcha and hours of research on the right syrup consistency later, Zoläla’s signature matcha was born.
The Zoläla Matcha website proudly states: “Every drink I make is done with care and passion. My goal is to share that love for matcha and create something that makes people feel good with every cup.”
“I’m all about the aesthetic,” Tsoukalas said. “So I feel like the prettier it looks, the better it’s gonna taste. I was huge on not wanting to use anything that was arti cially sweetened or arti cially dyed. So I did some research on the pigmentation of certain natural colorings, and that’s how I get the colors of my cold foams to be so vibrant.”
According to Tsoukalas, she has a background in event coordinating and saw the opportunity through the success that mobile vendor businesses like co ee carts or balloon decorators have at events, and she felt an inkling to pursue that niche.
“My connections and my marketing skills have just been, like, a whole full circle moment,” Tsoukalas said. “Like I used to hire these types of people, and now I’m one of those people who people reach out to for events, which is really cool.”
Zoläla Matcha made its debut at a promotional event in partnership with local business Rountree Market that Tsoukalas, her friends and other in uencers organized. The networking event centered around a yoga class taught by an Austin-based instructor, with other small business pop-ups in attendance to promote their brands.
Tsoukalas described the event as a learning experience that provided value beyond just a pro t in her bank account and a huge launching point for her small business.
“I was like, ‘This is so worth it to me,’” Tsoukalas said. “Because even though it was a free event and I lost money, I really did it because that’s how I got my word out.”
Thanks to support from the event and a few viral TikToks made by attendees, Tsoukalas said the inquiries just kept coming in.
“It was like this whole collective space coming together,” Tsoukalas said. “All these creative minds; all my friends and in uencers that were there, it was honestly really great. I was like, ‘Okay, this is gonna work.’”
Although con dent in her ability to manage a small business while juggling graduate school, Tsoukalas said she was shocked at all of the organizations reaching out, causing her to be almost fully booked in her rst month of opening. Her strategy to manage it all is to have time set aside for each responsibility. For Tsoukalas, giving up her evening doomscrolling time on TikTok is more than worth it to achieve her dreams.
“It’s a small sacri ce, because people are talking about me, and people just know me now, and I’m like, ‘This is so cool,’”
Tsoukalas said.
Tsoukalas attributed a huge part of her success to the friendships she has been blessed with. From her roommate Melissa Cubas’ ‘24 assistance in helping work private events, to the branding and photography services gifted to her by close friend and nursing senior Nadely Abdalla, Tsoukalas’ friends stepped up voluntarily to help her get Zoläla Matcha up and running.
“They are such a huge support,” Tsoukalas said. “I’m so blessed to have friends that are actually there for me, and they’re not jealous. Like they want to see me grow.”
Cubas, Tsoukalas’ top supporter, said she has always been the friend who has helped Tsoukalas bring her creative visions to life. They have lived together since freshmen year, and Cubas said that she has watched all of the creative outlets and business ventures her friend has pursued.
“I think what really helped us stay really close is that we’re both creative in our own ways, and that’s something that we were able to really bond over,” Cubas said.
Cubas believes that if you have even the faintest idea of wanting to do something, you should go for it.
She praised Tsoukalas’ work ethic, quality of product and the eye-catching branding that her friend passionately designed herself, and described herself feeling like a proud mom.
“I think something that I genuinely feel super proud of her for is that I’ve always seen she’s had that creative side to her,” Cubas said. “She’s genuinely thriving and almost in bloom when it comes to this kind of stu . You can see she’s enjoying it, and it’s making her heart happy.”
Nadely and her sister, Jocelyn Abdalla, stepped up as helping hands in the growth of Zoläla Matcha.
Nadely o ered to help Tsoukalas with social media content and photography, while Jocelyn worked the matcha stand, helping with orders and serving customers.
“Zoë just has a personality that I don’t think is just shown over camera,” Nadely said. “Just being able to capture those moments and show everyone how successful she can be and how determined she is — is amazing.”
Thanks to a Bumble ambassador event freshman year, Nadely and Tsoukalas sparked a close friendship that blossomed from their shared love of pursuing business opportunities and a creative itch.
Nadely described Tsoukalas as the type-A planner and “wheel of it all” when they collaborate.
“We work great together,” Nadely said. “It just generally became a friendship that I don’t know what I would do without now.”
Working together at di erent events and providing photography for Zoläla Matcha has helped both of their businesses grow, according to Nadely.
She describes living and working in a town like College Station as a strong community and environment where people want to network and partner to help each other grow.
“It’s amazing to have those friendships that you can support and have their back,” Nadely said. “At the end of the day, we’re trying to grow and be the best people that we can, and collaborating is the best way, because we are both growing from each other and with one another.”
Jocelyn said that working with Tsoukalas at events and helping with content creation has been the perfect side hustle to do her freshman year at A&M. Introduced to her by Nadely, Jocelyn said working with Tsoukalas has been inspiring and uplifting.
“She’s a sweetheart, and I love being around her, and it’s such a good environment to work in,” Jocelyn said.
Equipped with an overloaded Pinterest board of ideas and the mind of an entrepreneur, Tsoukalas said she looks forward to following her creative dreams after college.
While pursuing a full-time accounting job, she plans to pursue growth opportunities for Zoläla Matcha and continue to do private events in the Dallas, Austin and College Station areas.
“Starting in College Station was my goal, so when I go to Dallas next year, I will stand out a little bit more,” Tsoukalas said. “I want to do everything on my own; it’s really rewarding. But it’s been such a dream, I feel like I’m at my peak right now.”
Clockwise from top: Accounting graduate student and business owner Zoë Tsoukalas pours matcha at the Zoläla Matcha stand during the Aggie Kappa Alpha Theta sisterhood event at the George Bush Library on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. Signage at the Zoläla Matcha stand during the Aggie Kappa Alpha Theta sisterhood event at the George Bush Library on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. Accounting graduate student and business owner Zoë Tsoukalas pipes cream atop the matcha drink at the Zoläla Matcha stand during the Aggie Kappa Alpha Theta sisterhood event at the George Bush Library on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025.
Photos by Adriano Espinosa — THE BATTALION
Are so-called ‘study drugs’ miracles or medical myths?
By Aidan Zamany Opinion Writer
Navigating college in the 21st century is truly an absurd experience.
Whether that experience is superior to what past generations endured is up for debate. For instance, the advent of arti cial intelligence o ers immense convenience in synthesizing information or drafting text while also inciting harsh anti-cheating measures, which sometimes penalize students’ authentic work.
Moreover, the cost of a college education seems to be increasing while the value of a degree is decreasing. Acceptance rates shrink by a few percentage points every year, while standardized tests, like the SAT, grow more and more di cult.
Academia might just be one of the most competitive environments to be in, especially for teenagers with limited realworld experience. In addition to guring out how to function independently — away from family — students have to maintain a high GPA and chase leadership positions, lest their rivals gain an advantage over them.
Celine Song claims modern love is corrupted by vanity, avarice
By Sidney Uy Opinion Writer
“The movie’s advertisements were disingenuous!” cry the rom-com fanatics. “It’s broke-man propaganda!” cry the soapbox wokes. “The female protagonist is insu erable!” cry the lm bros, adjusting their zippers.
People assumed that “Materialists” was going to revive rom-coms — another lm to add to the laundry list of 2000s cult classics. If anything, they were craving the same tropes — a hit to con rm their biases around love, chivalry and in nite female wisdom.
Unfortunately for them, “Materialists” does not ful ll that hit — it turns the romcom archetype on its head.
Many saw “Materialists” as “sending the wrong message.” But what “wrong” message is it sending, and for whom is it wrong?
Let’s pursue a more naked question: Who are materialists? Is “Materialists” — a movie about single New Yorkers — any good?
On its own terms, the answer is yes. It did exactly what it was supposed to do — criticize modern dating as a vain pursuit.
Director Celine Song, also behind the award-winning lm “Past Lives,” is a class act. Song is a savant for capturing everyday beauties in her lms — a talent that arrests the attention of the audience.
“Materialists” also has a stunning A-list cast, full of our millennial favorites — Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal and — of course — Dakota Johnson. Johnson plays Lucy, the female protagonist.
If “Materialists” was a conventional rom-com, Lucy would typically be cast as the “prize” to be fought over, instead, this trope is never hashed out. Lucy is alone — burdened by her decisions as we follow her consciously throughout the movie.
This is the innovation of Song’s genre
Opinion: Pause the study prescriptions
How are high school and college students reacting?
Among other things, by resorting to drugs. When somebody mentions drugs, one tends to think of illicit recreational narcotics, like marijuana and ecstasy. However, there’s another class of substances that most neglect to consider: stimulants. Stimulants come in all shapes and sizes. The most famous type of stimulant is probably crystal methamphetamine, the hallmark of the popular television series “Breaking Bad.” But not all stimulants are cooked up by chemistry teachers turned drug lords in mobile RVs. In fact, most stimulants are legally manufactured by major pharmaceutical companies, including Johnson & Johnson, P zer and Eli Lilly.
Targeted toward adolescents and adults diagnosed with attention de cit disorders like ADD and ADHD, these drugs are largely bene cial when consumed responsibly via prescription. For those su ering from attention issues or hyperactivity, medications like Adderall and Vyvanse help to improve focus and combat the various negative e ects of executive dysfunction.
The issue emerges when students who don’t require these prescriptions for medical reasons begin to use them as performance enhancers. Believing these so-called “study drugs” can boost test scores and counter
study fatigue, thousands of students are now actively seeking stimulants on grey and black markets. One study notes that during nal exam season, one of the most commonly searched terms on social media was “Adderall.” When arti cial demand for stimulants grows, it puts strain on the pharmaceutical supply chain, often leading to nationwide shortages and spikes in consumer costs. These shortages can be particularly detrimental to pediatric healthcare, since prescriptions are the rst-line treatment for children with neurobehavioral conditions.
Ironically, a study evaluating several 18-24-year-old college students’ academic performance on Adderall found that, when compared to students using a placebo, the students who had taken Adderall had actually temporarily worsened their ability to remember information. Furthermore, the study published that Adderall had no signi cant e ect on a student’s ability to read.
If this is the case, why are study drugs still overwhelmingly sought after on campuses throughout the country?
Perhaps immense societal pressure, high expectations from family and our unique iteration of hustle culture are to blame.
Even if the science shows otherwise, the perception that a pill might magically
make you smarter is a tantalizing notion for desperate high achievers.
Apart from the exacerbation of supply shortages, taking non-essential prescription stimulants can create a personal health risk. Even though big brand-name prescriptions are Food and Drug Administration approved, drugs like Adderall, Ritalin, Focalin and Concerta are not harmless. Common side e ects include reduced appetite, sleep disruption and abdominal pain, which can cause or worsen existing eating disorders. With midterms and nal exams approaching this semester, you may be tempted to experiment with study drugs and swallow an alleged “miracle pill.” Nonetheless, the truth remains that — unless you have been diagnosed by a legitimate healthcare professional — taking these prescriptions will do you far more harm than good.
A better way to earn that 4.0 is to study e ciently and strategically. Start reviewing early on. Eat well, sleep enough and supplement social time with friends or family. By these means, or whichever methods work for you, academic excellence is achievable without surrendering to substance abuse.
Aidan Zamany is a political science sophomore and opinion writer for The Battalion.
Opinion: ‘Materialists’ is a gold mine
critique — it is laden in her style. Song deliberately creates scenes where John — played by Evans — and Harry — played by Pascal — hardly interact, drawing viewers out of their expectations of a “duel” for Lucy’s hand.
By and large, the lm allows the audience breathing room to witness the surface-level interactions Lucy has with her clients. The energy of rom-com cliches is replaced by Lucy’s immersion in vapid social interaction. She contemplates choosing to climb the social ladder while deprived of real, messy, stupid love. Love plays second ddle in this lm — it’s about Lucy’s freedom to pursue true happiness outside of social pressures.
No one is proving their undying love for each other; Prince Charming isn’t coming to save Lucy from her unstable, paycheckto-paycheck situation. John represents any struggling man in our lives we’ve seen sink into the abyss because they cannot conform. As much as we hate to see the absurdity of their struggles, they’re real.
The lm captures love at age 30 and over — on the verge of being “past one’s prime,” yet often still in pursuit of nding a life partner. This is Song’s realist turn as she illustrates the sleazy, yet glamorous New York City scene in all its late-stage capitalist glory.
Lucy is a working-class matchmaker who is painfully aware of her client’s super cial wants that transform into needs.
Throughout the rst act, Lucy needs to navigate male pattern baldness and women’s sagging skin — everything vain for her client’s meticulous preferences. She is a dating app personi ed.
Song’s scenes are literal gilded snapshots. Peel back the layers of gold and her clients are hollow shells. People making decisions based on networth, height and looks. In their hyper xation, they lose out on human connection. The possibility of enjoying humdrum life is sti ed by the world of “Materialists.”
Song’s purpose is to confront us with how we blanch and decorate our lives to satiate the appetite of capitalism — one that
prevents Lucy and John from being together throughout most of the lm.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s philosophy underpins Song’s criticism of modern love; we have deprived ourselves of the zest of love and replaced it with vanity. No longer do we love ourselves naturally — amour de soi — we commit ourselves to amour propre — corrupt self-absorption and comparative success.
Song’s observation, as much as it is pessimistic, is spot on.
Capitalism awards competition and penalizes bona de passion — a playbook many of us take for granted in our own lives. As accurate and depressing as “Materialists” is, Song’s story ends on a high
note. Lucy not only makes peace with John after a tumultuous back and forth, but takes a leap of faith toward genuine love — one in which they become each other’s ends. The opening shot where cavewellers who had nothing to give but their company ties together with the rolling-credits song, “My Baby (Got Nothing at All)” — an ode to rediscovering why we fall in love in the rst place.
Instead of remaining zealous ideologues, we should all have a golddigger’s attitude about this movie — maybe it shines a mirror on something we have sorely failed to address in our romantic escapades. Sidney Uy is a philosophy junior and opinion writer for The Battalion.
Illustration by D’Marcus Benavidez — THE BATTALION
Chi-Chi Zhang — THE BATTALION
Illustration by Allison Fernandes
By Diego Saenz Senior Sports Writer
Beware, 12th Man: The hungry Florida Gators are crawling out of the swamp and heading to a raucous Kyle Field to take on No. 5 Texas A&M, which is fresh o of an “Operation Blackout” victory over Mississippi State.
Coach Mike Elko’s squad isn’t the only one riding high. Coach Billy Napier’s Florida squad just stunned then-No. 9 Texas, reigniting hope in Gainesville, Florida, and simultaneously kicking the Longhorns out of the AP Poll. That win might have been the turning point this ultra-talented Florida team needed after an underwhelming 2-3 start.
Coming into 2025, Florida was considered one of the more complete teams in the Southeastern Conference, and a dark horse in the College Football Playo race. But through their rst four contests, the Gators have looked nothing of the sort, dropping games to South Florida, Miami and LSU. But after a dominant 29-21 victory over Texas, Florida once again has a pulse, and it is none other than the Aggies who get to
face the revived Gators.
For A&M redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed, this isn’t his rst rodeo against the Gators. His rst career start for the Maroon and White came last season in Gainesville. Now, his 14th start will be in front of the 12th Man under the lights of Kyle Field.
The Nashville, Tennessee, native has put together a solid campaign so far, throwing for 1,256 yards and 11 touchdowns while only tossing three interceptions. His breakout moment happened in South Bend, Indiana, where he threw for 360 yards and two scores, to exorcise the Aggies’ past demons in front of Touchdown Jesus.
Since then, Reed’s numbers have taken a slight dip, but he’ll need to regain his rhythm if he hopes to break through a stingy Gator defense.
Florida’s defensive front jumps o the tape. Redshirt senior edge rusher Tyreak Sapp is a player A&M o ensive coordinator Collin Klein must account for. Sapp has tallied 17 tackles and a sack on the year, and is still viewed by many as a potential NFL Draft pick. Aside from its defensive strength, the Gators’ o ense nally found its footing against what was widely considered one of the nation’s best defenses in their game against the Longhorns.
Sophomore QB DJ Lagway, a former ve-star recruit, headlines Napier’s o ense.
Aggies eye 6–0 start as Gators fight for survival
The 6-foot-3, 247-pound signal caller has thrown for 988 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions this season and is coming o of a 298-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Longhorns.
Lagway is a familiar name in Aggieland.
“DJ’s obviously a kid that we’ve known and tried very hard to get here,” Elko said during Monday’s press conference. “He’s an extremely talented quarterback, he’s playing so much better, he’s made a lot of growth and taken a lot of strides. You see him very comfortable back there, and I think he’s playing at a really high level. He’s a really talented kid.”
A&M’s coaching sta isn’t the only one familiar with Lagway; the sophomore has had Kyle Field circled on his calendar for a while.
“For sure, I’m de nitely excited to go back to play at Kyle Field,” Lagway said during SEC Media Days. “I have been to a lot of games in Kyle Field and for me to be able to play in one, it’s gonna be so real. Having all my family, my teammates, my classmates, my coaches, teachers, all of them be at the game. It’s gonna be fun.”
The sophomore quarterback is a Texas native and former standout for the Willis Wildkats, just down the road from College Station. One storyline to watch will be the feud between A&M junior linebacker Taurean York and Lagway.
Their high school paths rst crossed on
Sept. 2, 2022, when York’s Temple squad defeated Willis 34-20, holding the highly touted Lagway to just 115 yards and no touchdowns.
Their feud continued when the two met last season. Heading into halftime, the pair were caught exchanging a few words that can’t be printed here.
York’s Aggies got the best of Lagway and the Gators last time. With a revamped defense that’s been playing lights out since SEC play began, York and Co. will look to make it two-straight wins over the Willis native.
One matchup that could be the game-decider lies in the trenches. Redshirt senior left tackle Austin Barber, whom Elko called “one of, if not the best tackles in the conference,” will go head-to-head with A&M’s star redshirt senior defensive end Cashius Howell.
Howell has been nearly unstoppable this season, racking up seven sacks through ve games, just half a sack shy of what last year’s trio of NFL-bound defensive linemen combined for all season. He’s on pace to become the rst Aggie to record double-digit sacks since 2017.
The stage is set for a Saturday-night showdown at 6 p.m. at Kyle Field as the Aggies look to improve to an SEC-best 6-0. Meanwhile, Florida nds itself backed into a corner, with Napier’s
Field on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. Junior wide receiver
(7)
Craver (1) breaks a tackle during
football’s game against
State at Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. Sophomore linebacker Jordan Lockhart (54) forces an incompletion against Mississippi State sophomore running back Fluff Bothwell (24) during Texas A&M football’s game against Mississippi State at Kyle Field on Saturday, October 4, 2025. Sophomore linebacker Jordan Lockhart (54) celebrates during Texas A&M football’s game against Mississippi State at Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025.
Adriano Espinosa — THE BATTALION Adriano Espinosa — THE BATTALION
Anna Haley — THE BATTALION
Texas A&M softball enters fall ball in midst of rebuilding process after departure of former stars Wooley, Kennedy
By Mathias Cubillan Associate Sports Editor
As hordes of rowdy bedlamites le into the Kyle Field bleachers during fall, another team is quietly preparing on the other side of campus — without some of the familiar pillars it once relied on.
Texas A&M softball, helmed by coach Trisha Ford in her fourth year in Aggieland, crashed out of the postseason in May — becoming the rst No. 1 seed to get picked o in its own regional thanks to a pair of losses to Liberty. Those teary-eyed emotions felt after the knockout game still echo within Davis Diamond, according to Ford.
“I probably will never forget that feeling for the rest of my coaching career, but I am always somebody that will face things head on,” Ford said. “We talk about it a lot. … I hope to never have to go through that again, but we have to learn from it, move forward and grow from it. I think that was going to be something that hopefully helps us propel forward this year and from years to come. That’s always going to be part of our history, and we have to kind of own it and move forward.”
This year, A&M has questions to answer all throughout its lineup with only one re-
SPORTS
‘A lot of moving parts’: Ford retools roster
turning starter entrenched in the position she mainstayed last season. These questions, Ford said, may not be fully answered until the start of Southeastern Conference play or even into April.
“[Associate head coach Je Harger] reminded me that we just have really Kennedy Powell, KP, playing third base, and everybody else is pretty much playing a new position,” Ford said. “So [sophomore outelder] Frankie [Vrazel] is obviously playing right eld, or she started in right eld, so she played there last year quite a bit. But other than that, we kind of have a lot of new bodies in new places.”
And the biggest change yet? Ford will be without program cornerstones Rawlings Gold Glove-winning shortstop Koko Wooley and left-handed pitcher Emiley Kennedy — known a ectionately as “Lefty” around Davis Diamond — for the rst rst time in her Aggie tenure. Ford called it “weird” to not have Kennedy around, noting it’s the rst time the circle won’t have a go-to arm for big games.
Following Kennedy’s departure to the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, the Maroon and White needed another southpaw to play in the circle.
Enter senior LHP Taylor Pannell. The Missouri transfer is the NCAA’s Division I leader in career saves with 24, using her changeup to become one of the SEC’s premier closers.
“I think the biggest thing about Taylor is I recruited her because of her insides and kind of her mentality on the eld,” Ford said. “Trying to get her obviously acclimat-
ed to Aggieland, which she has loved, but also getting in with our other pitchers’ ears about kind of how to handle pressure, how to handle big situations. … So something that, you know, I really lean on her hard to bring to the table.”
Pannell headlines one of the most highly regarded transfer classes in the country alongside senior in elder Tallen Edwards, redshirt senior INF Micaela Wark, junior OF Maya Bland and sophomore INF Paislie Allen. Ford praised the group’s athleticism and positive energy.
“You have Paislie that came in, who’s played middle in eld her whole life,” Ford said. “She started in left eld, and very unsel sh, I would say, would be kind of the two key components of this whole recruiting class coming in. Tallen Edwards has been a Gold Glover at third base, started at second base. Micaela Wark, another one that came in, who’s been, you know, obviously a staple at Okie State played some rst base for us.”
In addition to the ve transfers and three incoming freshmen, Ford may have an ace up her pinstriped jersey sleeve: redshirt sophomore utility player Ariel Kowalewski. The Florida transfer was ineligible to play in 2025 due to a mid-season December 2024 transfer, but she hit .308 and eight home runs as a true freshman in Gainesville.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to get AK out on the eld,” Ford said. “So SEC rules, it’s a complete year she has to sit. So we’re in the middle of trying to see if we can get her at all this fall. Most likely not. I come into the o ce on Saturday to get
some things for the game, and who is in the cage hitting? AK. … All I can say is I’m very con dent that the game is going to pay her back for all of her patience and her work.”
The straw that stirs the proverbial drink is the bat of junior designated player Mya Perez. The All-American slugger was busy this o season, participating in the MLB’s Home Run Derby X and representing Mexico in the Pan American Championship. Ford highlighted the potential of Perez and Wark as a power-hitting one-two punch, similar to what Perez had with DP Mac Barbara last season.
“I think Mya, you know, is everything that I thought she was going to be,” Ford said. “ … She understands her swing. She’s more comfortable in her skin. It’s probably the best way I could put it, is that she understands what pitches to attack, how to attack it. … She understands what it takes to be a high-level hitter at this level.”
Outside of star sophomore INF KK Dement likely sliding over to Wooley’s vacancy at shortstop, Ford acknowledged the lack of certainty on the reworked roster.With three 10-inning fall-ball tussles with Baylor, McLennan and Texas State on the schedule this week, Ford will begin the process of deciphering her new-look lineup one opportunity at a time.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of moving parts this year,” Ford said. “I think we’re going to give some people some opportunities. They’re going to earn those opportunities, and then we’re going to be able to kind of settle in with what that looks like. So hopefully, March, April.”
Aggies head to Louisiana to take on Tigers
A&M aims to gain momentum for postseason push during Baton Rouge trip to begin stretch of final SEC matches
By Ava Loth Sports Writer
Texas A&M soccer heads to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Friday, Oct. 10 as the LSU Tigers host the Aggies in a Southeastern Conference matchup.
After a busy weekend capturing its rst conference win in a 1-0 victory against rival Texas, and drawing a 0-0 tie with Oklahoma, A&M is nearing the end of SEC play, with only four games left on the regular-season schedule.
Now they’re taking on LSU, a squad with a 4-1 home record. A&M will need to see some repower in its o ense to secure an important win on the road in its seventh conference matchup of the season.
Loss after loss, the Aggies have secured only four points, potentially putting their playo spot in jeopardy.
“We have four games now remaining,” coach G Guerrieri said in Monday’s press conference. “We need to get some points from these games to ensure another postseason run.”
Their o ense has recently had one foot in the grave in the majority of their encounters. There was, however, a spark of life last week in their showdown against Texas.
Junior forward Trinity Buchanan was accountable for the rst Maroon and White goal in four games, nishing a three-touch play o of a free kick from senior defender Bella Yakel. The goal marked her second game-winner this season and the end of the Aggies four-game scoreless streak.
“One of the most improbable goals that
you’d see,” Guerrieri said. “You could repeat that once every 2,000 reps.” Buchanan — reaching the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season — now leads the Aggies in goals as well as game-winners, standing out as a di erencemaker for A&M’s attack.
Even with a losing stretch, the Aggies haven’t made it necessarily easy on their opponents — ve of their last six games were decided by a single goal.
“We have created more chances than just about all of our opponents,” Guerierri said. “We’ve had so many near misses.”
The apparent threat LSU brings is its vertical advantages.
“They are land of the giants,” Guerierri said. “It’s really amazing the height, the length they have on their team.”
Facing such a tall team can force the Aggies to lose headers and contend with other challenges posed by the heights of their opponent.
LSU’s defensive advantage has also been very apparent in its goalkeeping duo. Senior goalkeeper Sophine Kevorkian has dealt six wins and three clean sheets in her nine starts of the season. Junior GK Audur Scheving has posted a .750 save percentage so far in her six appearances, along with two clean sheets under her belt. With their opponents’ success in the net being held to a minimum, they have been able to put up competitive outings and maintain tight contests.
The Aggies haven’t been able to record more than one goal in any game since their non-conference schedule in late August, but the Maroon and White are eager to bring back the momentum they saw in their early games, right when it matters most during their season.
“We are the team you don’t want to play right now in the SEC,” Guerierri said. “Because of how hard our players play and that sense of urgency that they’ve been kind of building upon.”
Left to right: Senior pitcher Taylor Pannell (78) pitches during
(1) preps to
Photos by Steve Carrasco IV — THE BATTALION
Upset-minded Gators storm into Kyle Field, itching to take down Lone Star State’s highestranked team, undefeated No. 5 A&M, after beating Texas
By Noah Ruiz Senior Sports Writer
No. 5 Texas A&M football has found itself in rari ed air; its 5-0 record is the best start the Aggies have had since 2016.
Now, gearing up for a night-game showdown with the Florida Gators, all of Aggieland will be waiting to relish in what will be the last home football game for over a month.
Florida will not back down easily, having just upset then-No. 9 Texas at The Swamp for its rst Southeastern Conference victory. With that said, who will step up for Florida, and who will A&M turn to in order to silence a reptilian resurgence?
Here’s a handful of folks to keep an eye out for in this clash of SEC foes.
Jadan Baugh, sophomore running back, Florida
No sophomore slump is coming from this Gator rusher as sophomore running back Jadan Baugh looks to be a true di erence-maker in the matchup with the Aggies. Baugh was the centerpiece of the Florida running game that buried Texas from beginning to end, racking up 107 yards on the ground.
The Gators did not have a heavy emphasis on the run game before their victory over the Longhorns, but now that they have seen its potential for success, expect them to use Baugh again to their advantage.
Dallas Wilson, freshman wide receiver, Florida
Beware of this young pass catcher, 12th Man. A newcomer to the college football scene, freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson was already playing like a veteran in his very rst collegiate game last week against Texas. Wilson took command in The Swamp with the intent to dominate the eld, cashing in on all of the opportunities thrown his way.
In his rookie debut, Wilson hauled in six passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns — one of which featured a dancing spin all the way into the end zone for a 55-yard score. If there is any receiver ready to anxiously take the top o the defense, look no further than Wilson.
Tyreak Sapp, redshirt senior edge rusher, Florida
A long-time veteran of the Florida program, redshirt senior edge rusher Tyreak Sapp has done it all for the defense from
Players to watch as A&M battles Florida
his spot o the edge. The towering 6-foot3 defender had his best game of the young season against the Longhorns with six total tackles, including a tackle for loss.
Simply put, Sapp is a people mover — opening up lanes for his fellow defenders to make plays on the ball. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed will have to be careful not to hold onto the ball for too long while Sapp makes his way into the o ensive back eld.
Cashius Howell, redshirt senior defensive end, Texas A&M
Shifting over to the Aggies’ side of the matchup, few defenders in the country come close to the fearsome might of redshirt senior defensive end Cashius Howell — a former Bowling Green Eagle who is on track to make his second year with A&M the best he has ever had.
Howell has become a one-man Wrecking Crew for the Maroon and White so far this season, notching his second three-sack game against Mississippi State. He currently leads the SEC in sacks, with seven so far.
Howell is on pace for A&M’s rst double-digit sack season since Landis Durham’s 10.5 sack junior season in 2017, and will look to rattle sophomore QB DJ Lagway in any way he can.
Rueben Owens II, redshirt sophomore running back, Texas A&M
The Aggies have an embarrassment of riches in the running back room, with their RB2 in redshirt sophomore RB Rueben Owens II looking more like a co-RB1. The El Campo native has waited patiently for a return to the eld after a leg injury kept him out of the better part of the 2024 season. Now fully healthy, it seems like there is nothing he can’t do.
In the rst half against Mississippi State, senior RB Le’Veon Moss appeared to be shaken up, opening the door for Owens to have a career night.
A personal best of 142 yards on the ground — plus a clutch 19-yard catch — made Owens an instrumental part of the victory, and he will aim to keep the pressure on opposing defenders with his best foot forward on every snap.
Tyler Onyedim, graduate defensive tackle, Texas A&M
Perhaps an unsung hero on the defensive line so far this season, graduate defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim has done exactly what has been asked of him and more since transferring in from Iowa State.
Onyedim provides a wall on the interior defensive line, plugging the run with ease and stopping opposing running backs from getting too far down the eld. He, alongside graduate DT Albert Regis, have bolstered the rushing defense, and they aim to do the same against Baugh and the Gator run game.
Top to Bottom: Graduate defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim (11) celebrates a sack during Texas A&M football’s game against Mississippi State at Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. Redshirt
ENTERTAINMENT
REWARDS ON GAME DAY SNACKS
