LIFE & ARTS
Annual parade, festival draws in hundreds to celebrate Hispanic heritage across Bryan-College Station A3
SPORTS
Last-drive delight results in first ranked road win since 2014 as Texas A&M fells Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana B2
Aggie researcher detained by ICE
Texas A&M graduate student
Tae Heung “Will” Kim continues to be held in ICE custody
By Julia Kazda News Editor
It began after a wedding. A time meant for celebration and unity was stained with the juxtaposition of separation. Tae Heung “Will” Kim, a 40-year-old doctoral student at Texas A&M and a green card holder since the age of five, was detained by ICE at the San Francisco International Airport on July 21 while returning from his brother’s wedding in South Korea.
Kim’s detainment was based on a misdemeanor marijuana charge from 2011. However, according to his attorney, Eric Lee, in an article by the Washington Post, Kim completed the appropriate community service for the misdemeanor and successfully petitioned for nondisclosure to seal the offense from public record.
Because of this, according to a statement from another of Kim’s attorneys, Karl Krooth, he is unsure as to why Kim — a legal permanent resident with a green card — was detained.
“We have been working to gather complete and accurate information about Mr.
Kim’s situation and will closely monitor the case as it moves through the legal system,” an A&M university official stated when asked about Kim’s status.
Young Woon Han, organizing director for NAKASEC, the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, and Rachel Koelzer, the communications director for both NAKASEC and Adoptees for Justice, have both taken a role in Kim’s case, as it aligns with the organization’s goal of achieving economic justice.
“It turned out that Will had a previous misdemeanor case that could possibly trigger [Customs and Border Patrol] to detain him,” Han said. “But for the first eight days that he was in San Francisco, we had no idea why they were detaining him, which is highly illegal. One day, the regulation, the typical length of stay at the secondaries cannot exceed 72 hours. And Will was there. I think he was released on the ninth day to ICE custody.”
Life in custody
While in custody, Kim was not granted the detention rights of a United States citizen. Rather than being given a cell, he was placed in office-like spaces with the lights on at all times. He was purposely moved from room to room, even to different states, and kept away from daylight for the purpose of
weakening his sense of time, according to Han after being in contact with Kim’s family.
“He had to sleep either on the floor or on a, you know, like put together chairs,” Han said. “Had to eat concession stand food for nine days. And then eventually he was transferred to, he was, I mean, you know, tossed around a few times. He was in Florence, Arizona. And then he went to Los Fresno and eventually he’s now in Raymondville, Texas.”
According to the Sixth Amendment, all U.S. citizens have the right to a lawyer and a speedy trial. Because of Kim’s possession of a green card, this right is protected under the veil of his citizenship. However, Han says that Kim is not being granted this right, according to his attorney.
“Will’s attorney called CBP, talked to CBP supervisor and explicitly asked him if Will would be covered under U.S. Constitution,” Han said. “The supervisor said no, which is illegal. So just a wide range of problems, due process issues here.”
‘I don’t know if this is how Aggies are treating their family’
“I came to this country with my children believing in the American promise of freedom and equality,” Kim’s mother, Sharon Lee, said in a statement. “My children know no home but the U.S., Tae Heung should
Interim dean named by Provost
Simon North, Ph.D., to lead College of Arts and Sciences with search for permanent dean to commence this fall
By Hilani Quinones Associate News Editor
Simon North, Ph.D., and professor of chemistry has been appointed interim dean effective immediately following President Mark A. Welsh’s III removal of Dean Mark
Zoran from administrative duties, according to an email to students from Provost and Executive Vice President Alan Sams.
Zoran’s removal came in response to a viral video showing Professor Melissa McCoul addressing gender identity in an upper-division summer session children’s literature course.
North has served as executive associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since June 2024 and has been the head of the Department of Chemistry since August 2016 after serving as interim head of the department previously. He joined the Texas A&M faculty in 1997 and is also currently co-director of
the National Aerothermochemistry Laboratory and a former associate director of the Center for Atmospheric Chemistry and the Environment.
North also previously served as one of the primary advising and recruiting contacts for the A&M chemistry graduate program, playing a lead role in developing the Instructional Laboratory & Innovative Learning Building, which showcases undergraduate chemistry teaching laboratories including general chemistry and organic chemistry.
According to Sams’ letter, the university will launch a search for a permanent dean of the College of Arts and Sciences this fall.
not be punished or treated unjustly simply because of a mistake he made or because he is not a citizen.”
Despite this observed frustration, some members of the campus were hesitant to take immediate action. According to Han, an A&M faculty advisor was initially willing to talk to NAKASEC and the press, but the university council urged against speaking publicly.
“For God’s sake, Will has been a student of A&M since he was undergrad,” Han said. “And I think you guys are called Aggies? I heard Aggies are family. I don’t know if this is how Aggies are treating their family.”
The AAUP, American Association of University Professors, is an organization of academic professionals bonded by the intention of retaining quality of life for faculty and graduate students. Because of this shared mission, Han and Koelzer reached out to several members in Texas.
The AAUP from other Texas universities sent a letter to A&M President Mark A. Welsh III regarding Kim’s case in the hopes of support, but there has been no response.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle is parked outside the Cook County Courthouse, where Fox News was doing a ride-along on their operations in Chicago, after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an increased federal law enforcement presence and immigration enforcement actions by the Department of Homeland Security, in Chicago, U.S., September 8, 2025.
Buzzing backyards: Beekeeping in BCS
Beekeeping takes flight with improved AgriLife extension program, ‘bee bill’
By Erin R. Wunderlich News Reporter
Bryan-College Station locals gather under a tree at First Baptist Church Bryan, fanning themselves with program folders to beat the heat. Eagerly donning white beekeeping suits, they crowd around an apiary while a volunteer reaches into the hive, holding up a drawer lled with honey, larvae and buzzing honeybees.
Last Saturday, the Brazos Valley Beekeeping Association, or BVBeeks, held its annual Bee School, an all-day event o ering classes to those new to beekeeping and those looking to expand their hives. Event topics included feeding, nutrition, selling honey, diseases, bee communication and much more.
Beverly, a retiree from Neville, has kept nine hives to qualify for the Texas beekeeping agricultural exemption bill of 2012. She attended the event to learn how to maintain them on her own, without paying for a managing service.
“After I became familiar with my bees and how e cient their little society was, I couldn’t help but fall in love with them,” Beverly said. “You get sucked in; they’re absolutely captivating.”
Beekeeping poopularity has shot up
in the last decade with upward of 9,000 operations — more than any other state. To support and educate the growing number of urban and backyard beekeepers, Texas A&M’s online Beekeeping 101 program has grown into a state-wide movement.
Newly appointed head of operations is AgriLife entomologist Garett Slater, Ph.D., who teaches the course as a gateway to the Texas Master Beekeeping program, which is broken down into four tiers: Apprentice, Advanced, Master and Master Craftsman.
“I grew up around bees my entire life,” Slater said. “We currently have over 2,500 people participating from all walks of life. From engineers to doctors, retirees and business builders — anyone can do it. All you need is a backyard and a desire to connect with nature.”
There’s a saying in the bee community: You start beekeeping because you thought it was going to be easy but quickly realize it’s not. That’s where A&M’s online course comes in.
“It’s actually very di cult to keep bees alive,” Slater said. “That’s why it’s important rst-time keepers become familiar with managing varroa mites, providing proper nutrition and understanding queen breeding. The 10-week course covers everything you need to know to get started.”
Brian Skelly, a retired salesman and marketing CEO, is taking the Master beekeeping course.At Saturday’s Bee School, he volunteered to mentor beginners while maintaining his own studies of honeybee genetics and pathogens.
“There’s no real money in beekeeping,
but the community is strong,” Skelly said. “These people meet once a month, have a potluck and talk about their bees. There’s nothing better than learning about your local environment and the ways we care for it. Dr. Garett has developed an outstanding base to help anyone become successful in beekeeping; he really dedicates his entire life to it.”
For some, beekeeping is a business. Ethan Butler runs a removal service with his father called “Company Bee.” They often keep the bees they remove or relocate them to local keepers across Texas.
“After I removed my rst colony, it became pretty addictive — I’d say it’s worse than a gambling problem for this family,” Butler said. “We come to events like this to help educate people as much as we can.”
The Butlers also host a yearly apprentice from the BVBeeks’s youth program. While most new keepers are retirees, 12th-grade student Bella Montemayor was exposed early on.
“I used to hate bees,” Montemayor said. “After I joined the youth program with my sister, I realized they can’t hurt you. It was fun learning the medicinal uses of honey, where it comes from and realizing how vital bees are for pollination. After graduation, I plan to take the course and keep more bees with my mom and sister.”
According to Washington State University, honeybee colony losses are still predicted to increase despite the recent rise in keepers. With a potential loss of up to 70% in 2025, this nationwide collapse poses major problems for the agriculture
Professor explores legal action
Professor Melissa McCoul says her course content matched catalog requirements
By Hilani Quinones Associate News Editor
legal action following her termination
The video showed a confrontation between her and a student in the summer session class, sparking criticism from conservative activists and lawmakers on social media. It was fueled by Texas state Rep. Brian Harrison (R-10), who published unreleased audio recordings of meetings Welsh had with the student in the video. According to a statement sent to KBTX, the Texas Tribune and other media outlets by McCoul’s attorney, Amanda Reichek, her notice of termination alleged that she was “instructed on numerous occasions to change the course content to align with the catalog description and the course description that was originally submitted and approved.”
However, Reichek maintains that McCoul’s course content was consistent with the catalog and course description and that she was never instructed to change it.
“Dr. McCoul taught this course and others like it for many years, successfully and without challenge,” Reichek wrote in her statement. “Dr. McCoul was red in violation of her constitutional rights, contractual rights and the academic freedom that was once the hallmark of Texas higher education.” McCoul has appealed her termination and has requested a hearing with the university.
industry, as all crops rely on pollinators to produce food for the growing 342 million population.
Juiliana Rangel, Ph.D., a professor of apiculture and head of A&M’s Honey Bee Lab, said bees are a keystone species that help scientists ascertain habitat health suitability for biodiversity and conservation.
“To stop bees from declining, we’re looking to the genetics of varroa mites, which are the tiny tick looking mites that attack bees and transmit a lot of viruses,” Rangel said. “Looking at their genes, we can see if there are speci c genetic lines more prone to developing resistance to synthetic miticides or chemicals to control them.”
Rangel said not all hope is lost. If a single person in Bryan or College Station kept bees, they would pollinate plants up to three miles in every direction. Those bees would support native vegetation and local crops such as crape myrtles, apple trees and grape vines.
“Most keepers see the bene ts of having bees on their property,” Slater said. “There is the tax break, but also the intrinsic value of managing wildlife and pollinating your neighbor’s vegetable garden. They learn to use less pesticide, improve the nutrition of their bees and advocate for their importance. Even selling local honey and educating others brings communities together — I’ve seen it happen across the state.”
For those interested in attending the next Bee School, the Central Texas Beekeepers Association will be hosting its 15th Annual Beekeeping School on March 1 at Brenham High School.
Texas A&M professor Melissa McCoul is exploring
on Sept. 9. McCoul, who taught a children’s literature course, was red by President Mark A. Welsh III after a viral video showed her addressing gender identity in class.
Top to bottom: Garett Slater, Ph.D., extension entomologist and assistant professor in the Department of Entomology, holds a frame of bees on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in Overton. Queen bee (marked) on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in Overton
Photos by Michael Miller courtesy of Texas
Annual cultural event returns to Downtown Bryan
Fiestas Mexicanas showcases, celebrates Brazos Valley’s thriving Hispanic community
By Julia Helsel Life & Arts Writer
Last weekend, the streets of Downtown Bryan were cleared to make way for the Fiestas Mexicanas parade and festival, a lively celebration of culture to kick o Hispanic Heritage Month. Locals, and even out-oftowners, lined the streets to watch oats, horses and members of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band march down Bryan Street.
The 30-year, annual event serves to commemorate talented Hispanic high school students from the Brazos Valley who have earned scholarships.
The festivity is a big draw for families and an opportunity for parents to bring their children to an environment where they can celebrate and connect with their culture. For Alejandra Colunga, a mother who brought her daughter to the parade for the rst time, the event is just one of many ways her daughter can learn about her heritage.
“Because I’m Mexican, I really want her to experience our culture,” Colunga said. “Even though she wasn’t born there, I want her to know about where she comes from.” Colunga has called Bryan home since she was a child and is grateful for the thriving Hispanic community there. She loved growing up in the area, and hopes that the same will be true for her daughter.
“I love it here,” Colunga said. “I may have been born in Mexico, but I call this home now. I met my husband here, I had my daughter here, I have my career here. I really like living here and still being a part of my culture.”
Blanca Pinalez, a local businesswoman who runs the boutique Itza Bip on Main Street, has been a longtime partner of Fiestas Mexicanas and watched the event grow exponentially over the years.
“It’s amazing, every year something new gets added,” Pinalez said. “It’s never the same, and there are attendees not only from the Brazos area, but Navasota, Caldwell, Giddings, Brenham. … And it’s growing because we all like sharing our culture.”
While the name of the organization and event is Fiestas Mexicanas, by no means is the celebration an exclusive event. People from all backgrounds are welcome to be enraptured by the grand displays of unity on behalf of the Hispanic community.
“We have dancers, bands, local businesses but, most importantly, we have a variety of food,” Pinalez said. “Not only from Mexico, but from Guatemala, El Salvador … and other countries in South America. … We appreciate everyone embracing our culture, and everyone is welcome to come celebrate with us.”
While the original scholarship for Fiestas Mexicanas was founded by Emilio Lopez Sr. and Roy Lopez, the parade and festival were organized by Alma Villarreal, who has been in charge of the celebratory side of the event since its debut.
She started as a volunteer and board member of Fiestas Mexicanas, later becoming the organizer for the event which commemorates Mexican Independence Day. She expressed the joy it gives her every year to see high achieving students of the community get their time in the spotlight and the life changing impact it has on their education.
“There is so much happiness the children get because of the scholarship,” Villarreal said. “These kids can continue with their higher education that they might not have had because of lack of funds.”
This year, the “king” scholarship winner is headed to Harvard, two are set for Princeton and the remaining winners are planning to attend Texas A&M. Over the years, the scholarship has not only allowed students to spread their wings, but return and give back to the community.
“We’ve had people we’ve helped who have graduated,” Villarreal said. “One of them is going to law school, another is an accountant around here. They come back because their family roots are here, and they’ll tell us, ‘Oh if you’re still doing this, my little brother is in high school and needs help.’”
Fiestas Mexicanas isn’t a typical scholarship event. It is a lively celebration of things important to hispanic culture, complete with vendors, food and music — an aspect that Villarreal hopes is kept alive all year long.
“It’s important to instill the culture in kids while they are growing up,” Villarreal said. “Have them learn the language and the traditions we have. Traditions are also important to A&M, and I think it’s important for people to know where they come from and involve their children.”
With increasing political tensions, Villarreal explained that it’s important as ever to keep celebrating their heritage.
“Don’t be scared, and be who you are,” Villarreal said. “You can’t be something for someone else. You have your beliefs with how you grow up, and you can’t abandon them because someone says, ‘Oh you’re Mexican, you’re Black, you’re white, you’re Asian.’ To me, it shows you don’t believe in yourself, and that won’t get you very far.”
Clockwise from
Texas A&M women’s organization Aggie Royals works to inspire members through service, leadership
By Kennedy Long Life & Arts Writer
In the over lled backyard of a College Station home last fall, girls donning stylishly cut Aggie Royals T-shirts, hair ribbons and smiles welcomed a new crowd of Royals into their family. As Bigs and Littles met face to face for the rst time, a celebration of the year ahead ensued, the entire night underlined by the message, “Welcome to Royals, welcome home.”
Aggie Royals is a women’s organization at Texas A&M that has been welcoming girls into its sisterhood since 2014. With a focus on inspiring this generation’s female leaders through weekly philanthropy and social events, Royals have recently concluded the process of looking for their new members — commonly referred to as the Jewel Class of 2025, according to @aggieroyals on Instagram.
“We do not have a set number of girls we are looking to take, which is the beauty of it,” president and economics senior Kathleen Herlambang said. “We want to nd the people that truly match the values of Aggie Royals.”
Applications were open from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 and closed at 5 p.m. Throughout that time, Royals bannered in the Academic Plaza, hosted informationals, held meetand-greets and took every opportunity to share time with potential new members. Once applications were sorted,Aggie Royals began scheduling socials and professional interviews pending invitation.
“When I was a [potential new member] I had so much fun going from event to event,” Herlambang said. “It never felt like I was going through a recruitment process but more like I was already hanging with my friends.”
This semester, Herlambang became the president of Aggie Royals after two years of membership. While Royals hosts many socials year-round, Herlambang’s favorite event was Mom’s Day 2024. The annual function welcomed Royals and their mothers to enjoy goat yoga, a co ee bar, a live band and local vendors.
“I loved being able to introduce my mom to the people I talk about constantly,” Herlambang said. “And she could see the love I am surrounded with on the daily.”
Royals hosts mixers and date parties throughout the year, in addition to Mom’s Day, Dad’s Day and an occasional family tailgate. Every week, Royals has one sisterhood event and one service event to ensure that the organization’s values
A sisterhood encouraging success
are being upheld, third year member and marketing senior Halli Eagle said.
“Each semester, we have a certain amount of points to ful ll in sisterhood and service,” Eagle said. “With two events per week, it’s really easy to get those points done and enjoy extra time with your friends.”
The primary requirements for membership in Aggie Royals are a willingness to serve, desire to grow alongside other Royals and an embodiment of the three de ning pillars of Aggie Royals: service, commitment and integrity.
“I think it’s worth noting that most women’s organizations’ pillars are centered around sisterhood,” Eagle said. “But what really stood out to me about Royals was their focus on building strong female leaders through the three pillars.”
Royals aims to inspire members through service and leadership opportunities in support of Soldiers’ Angels, their philanthropic, nonpro t partner.
Soldiers’ Angels is a San Antonio-based 501(c)(3) that supports United States veterans, wounded warriors and deployed service members and families.
Every year, Royals “adopt” a soldier through Soldiers’ Angels, allowing the girls to send them letters and care packages throughout the year.
“Last year, we adopted a deployed soldier and her daughter — who was living in Chicago while her mom was away — and we got to send care packages to both of them,” Eagle said. “It was so heartwarming to be able to send her toys around Christmastime and support her mother at the same time.”
For Royals’ annual philanthropy event,“Sing for Soldiers,” the group hosts a karaoke night to raise funds for Soldiers’ Angels. Last year, Aggie Royals raised $12,375.
“I love how passionate each and every girl is about our philanthropy,” Herlambang said. “Being able to give back to the people who sacri ce so much for us brings a smile to my face.”
Herlambang attributes her prolonged success she’s had during her time at A&M to her time with Aggie Royals. The genuine friendships and constant encouragement have made Royals her home away from home.
“Aggie Royals creates a community that fosters lifelong friendships and memories that we will one day tell our children,” Herlambang said. “Everyone that surrounds me is truly here to push me and uplift me on the daily.”
You can be yourself from the get-go, as inspiring members to embrace what they have to o er the world is what it means to be a Royal, according to Eagle.
“The girls in Aggie Royals are so authentic and genuine,” Eagle said. “I feel like every girl comes to events and just lets her guard down and can be herself without judgement.”
Two rings by spring: Engaged as Aggies
Students recount proposal, engagement experiences before getting hitched
By Kaitlyn Cates Life & Arts Writer
On an otherwise normal day during spring break of his junior year at Texas A&M, track & eld athlete and construction science senior Ethan Sanders bought an engagement ring for his girlfriend. To him, holding on to the ring felt like having a burning hole in his pocket as he waited with anticipation.
Amidst current times, where changes in lifestyle and attitudes have caused a shift that has seen a growing portion of young people wait to grow up and develop a career before marriage, Sanders’ response is simple: Why wait?
“I was like, ‘Wow, this is really happening, I’m gonna get to spend forever with him,’” Sanders’ ancee, psychology senior Kaitlin Waldmann, said. “It was so surreal, like since you’re a little girl, you dream of getting engaged. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is real life.’” While some believe such a commitment
can hold you back, agricultural economics senior Shelby Kouba feels that being in a serious relationship is liberating. From fully enjoying her college experience to planning on buying a house and starting her career after college, she spoke in support of young marriage.
Kouba addressed the joke of the age-old “ring by spring”Aggie stigma, even joking about putting “two-ring queen,” on the bottom of her ring dunk pitcher.
“It’s been so fun just to kind of see this is the next step in our lives, and we’re just excited to get there,” Kouba said. “You’re only around once. So why would you not want to do it with your person?”
Many of Kouba’s friends, including her maid of honor marketing senior Kalei Burkitt, are from California — a place where she said young engagements are not as common. Although the average age of marriage was just over 28 years old for women and 30 years old for men in 2024 according to The Knot, it is more common to get that “ring by spring” in Texas than in her home state. Adopting the mantra of waiting for marriage until you have life a little more gured out is slowly becoming the norm.
“I don’t know if it’s because everyone is just going to college more and still kind of living in this, like, false reality of
college where you’re an adult, but not fully an adult,” Kouba said. “You know what I mean? People go to grad school and work, then some people are pursuing that. I feel like marriage is kind of that step into adult life, and I don’t think as many people are thinking about that.”
Anyone wondering what wedding planning in college looks like should know the e ort involved in juggling it alongside school and work demands a well-managed schedule and a very supportive circle, according to Kouba and Waldmann. They both noted that it hasn’t been as bad as expected, other than taking more time in the evenings to set aside for planning and vendor meetings.
“We have such amazing friends and family and a great community,” Waldmann said. “I had nothing but support from every single one, especially my parents. I don’t think they understood at rst, like they were like, ‘You’re so young.’ But everyone in our life has been so supportive.”
Hiring a wedding coordinator is a college bride’s saving grace, in Kouba’s opinion. The extra help is needed for staying organized during a process that requires so much attention to detail and can become overwhelming at times.
“I think that it’s the right amount of busy,” Kouba said. “I’m a pretty busy person,
as is, so I mean, if it’s just just having an extra meeting to talk about owers, I guess it could be a lot worse.”
For Waldmann and Kouba, the best part of wedding planning is personalizing the decorations and asking friends to be in their bridal parties.
Freshman-year dorm friends become the girls who now go grab a co ee to talk wedding logistics during their last year of college.
“I think it’s just been so cool to form these relationships with friends over the past four years and then invite them into the next season of life with you, like you hear like all the time you’ll meet your best friends in college,” Waldmann said. “Coming in, I was like, ‘All right, everyone just says that,’ but truly, most of my bridesmaids are friends from college.”
Being surrounded by all their close friends and future bridesmaids or groomsmen while soaking up the last year of college is a special experience for these engaged couples, according to Sanders.
“I would just say, like, I think getting married and engaged young is so fun, and it’s exciting,” Sanders said. “You’re their best friend, and you want to be with them forever; I don’t know why you would really want to wait. I think
about
Top to bottom: Aggie Royals members Sarah Madla, Kathleen Herlambang and Kelly Mauldin pose for a photo taken by Destiny Herrera at the Aggie Royals Field Day social in Wolf Pen Creek Park on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. Aggie Royals members and potential members cheer for teammates during at field day activity at the Aggie Royals Field Day Social in Wolf Pen Creek Park on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.
Class of 2026 Aggie Ring and an engagement in front of the Century Tree on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025
Photos by Kennedy Long — THE BATTALION
Isabella Zeig — THE BATTALION
Opinion: A gerrymandered Texas is the Achilles’ heel of our democracy
By Sidney Uy Opinion Writer
“Just put the ve seats in the bag,” say Texas gerrymanderers, stu ng their faces. They sco to themselves, “Consent of the governed? Is that like an extra charge on our order?”
“I want to talk to the manager. I’ll still take the seats, I just want a refund on this consent thing.”
“No thanks, I’ll just take the entree.”
Our gerrymandering Republican Party is running the state no better than a single cashier at Wa e House running a weekend graveyard shift — except they’re not the ones getting paid minimum wage. They’re also no better than the unhinged customers who go to Wa e House past midnight. They were salivating at the opportunity to put ve seats in their own bag.
At the explicit request of President Donald Trump, ve Texas United States Representatives’ seats were politically targeted to be ipped. Flipping seats is achieved through either democratic processes, like voting, or undemocratic processes, like gerrymandering. Our self-serving representatives have since chosen gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering is the drawing of electoral district lines intended for political purposes, and in some cases, can facilitate incumbents staying in power. As chief gerrymanderer himself Sen. Phil King put it during his interview about his drawing of the redistricting map, “I drew it based on what would perform better for Republican candidates.”
Why does this matter? A special legislative session speci cally for redistricting was called right before the Texas midterm elections, but redistricting is usually done after the U.S. Census is completed. Texas districts were determined in 2021, but they were redrawn by Texas Republicans in the middle of a typical cycle in an e ort to bag ve seats. As might be expected, 88 Texas House Republicans voted for the map, while 52 Democrats voted against it. Not one Republican voted against — or abstained from voting on — the map. Pretty much exactly along party lines.
This scheme signi es a downfall of democracy.
According to the U.S. Supreme Court, partisan gerrymandering is indeed legal under the Constitution. Currently, the new Texas map is being contested in court. Plainti s claim that this mid-decade, redrawn map is racially gerrymandered (which is banned by the Voting Rights Act of 1965).
It is unclear whether this is racial or partisan.Yet, it should come as no surprise that this distinction will never be discernibly clear. This ambiguity is purposeful. For the sake of their “partisan” cause, crusaders will overlook the history of — and the modern-day issues festered by — the Jim Crow South.
Whether this is racially motivated or a partisan ploy, it is unjusti able on the basis that gerrymandering is an undemocratic practice. The areas projected to be hit the hardest are Austin, Houston, Dallas and South Texas. Minority and disabled populations in these areas are especially vulnerable to voter suppression in the face of indignant gerrymanderers.
For example, if this map is deemed legal by the courts, Austinites living in the 37th Congressional District will be boxed in with Texans living in another district — the 11th Congressional District — 300 miles away. The 37th district, represented by Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), would shrink, and its Austinite voters would be placed in a Republican stronghold district, represented by
August P uger (R-TX).
Austin’s districts are being cracked for political purposes. Austinite voters, who generally vote blue in elections, are being dispersed into other far- ung districts; their votes are being heavily diluted in districts that are predominantly red.
Moreover, voters in this newly constructed district may not share local concerns with those far away. This matters more than you may think.
Gerrymandering makes representation virtually impossible. One community may be concerned about its depleting smalltown water supply, while another community may be concerned about police violence in its city. When voters in a district do not share hardships speci c to their areas, addressing speci c policy and holding local politicians accountable becomes harder.
Let’s be clear: We cannot assume that our representatives care about democracy, even if they only care to the extent that they desire to be reelected and will act accordingly.
Texas Republicans have re-endowed themselves with the right to simply redraw the map whenever they please to stay in power; it reminds us of a shameful Jim
Crow. It should go without saying that there is no line in this sandbox — you are being discarded.
It is a power grab that will end up costing us any semblance of democracy still intact.
How can we have a functioning democracy when representatives are forcibly jamming their hands up districts 300 miles away to shu e voters like chess pieces while threatening to persecute those voters’ current representatives?
If you don’t like the terms that have been decided for you — forced upon you without your consent — it is your right to leave. That goes for every situation.
It is still important to resist, even if the system is awed.
We do not have to settle for unpopular policies, and we shouldn’t expect ourselves to.
If you’re planning to vote in College Station, you should check out the MOVE Texas chapter here at Texas A&M or any organizations that do voter registration. It’s time to act.
Sidney Uy is a philosophy junior and opinion writer for The Battalion.
NEW TEXAS CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT MAP
Opinion: Is A&M’s new ‘bus hub’ actually an improvement?
Don’t fix what isn’t broken; changes in transportation system create more problems while old ones remain
By Joshua Abraham Opinion Columnist
There’s an unspoken rule most Texas A&M students bank on when having to deal with overcrowding on buses during the rst couple weeks of school — you just have to wait until people stop going to classes for buses to clear up.
Every year that I’ve been at this university, this rule has been true. By the third or fourth week of lectures, the Aggie Spirit Bus does clear up, making it easier to nd a place to sit or comfortably stand during your journey to class and beyond.
However, the rule might not work this year.
The university transportation system has opted for a centralized “bus hub,” bringing all buses back to the Memorial Student Center for transit. For all the new freshmen on campus, this used to not be the case — there was another hub for buses, with Trigon now essentially shut down for bus transportation.
In theory, this is a fantastic idea. The thought of being able to transfer from the bus that takes you to campus to the bus you need to take to go to class without walking ten minutes in between sounds amazing, and technically you can do that now.
Every bus is lined up along either Old Main Drive, Lamar Street or Houston Street.
So, if you arrive on campus via Elephant Walk and need to head to the Bush School of Government, all you have to do now is walk around Simpson Drill Field and board Route 5: Bush School. You don’t need to walk from the Corps dorms and through the throngs of students bannering for their organizations just to catch the bus anymore.
So, it sounds great, right? No one should be complaining about this, right?
People are complaining about this, and it’s completely justi ed. This new bus system, while it has done some good, has led to much more bad. And the problem lies in not understanding what A&M is.
The bus hub isn’t a revolutionary idea that A&M invented; many universities do the same thing. The problem, however, is that this isn’t any regular university. This is A&M, one of the biggest universities in the country. We should be proud of that, but in this instance it hurts us.
A&M has north of 75,000 people enrolled across its campuses. If we assume that around a third of that number takes the bus every day, that’s still a whole lot more people than some universities have altogether who rely on public transportation to get to class. With the old system, we were able to spread everyone out and dilute the already horrendous College Station tra c. But now, everything feels more clustered.
When we don’t utilize how big our campus is and centralize everything, tra c builds up. There are too many people near the MSC now, but if you walk next to Heldenfelds — where a majority of the current buses on Lamar Street used to transit at — it’s completely empty. Why can’t we utilize this space, something other universities don’t have the pleasure of doing?
And buses are still crowded, something this was supposed to x. The university transportation system thought shifting locations would solve everything, but the same problems as before remain. This wasn’t a location issue; it’s an infrastructure problem. Moving everything to one place can’t solve everything — there’s so much more needing to be addressed.
When Trigon was still around, routes like Elephant Walk or Fish Camp could avoid one of the busiest intersections in the city and make a right turn on George Bush Drive, heading down Coke Street for transiting o -campus students.
Now, every bus is essentially forced to go through the same busy intersection, which probably increases wait time and lowers frequency. This leads to overcrowding on those buses, and then it forces more intra-campus buses to accommodate the bigger waves of students coming o these buses. It’s a chain reaction that couples the already existing problems with newer ones.
The bus hub can be good. It will probably get better through feedback. However, it’s just not there right now.
My suggestion is to reinstate Trigon. Why did we need to x something that wasn’t broken? If you can’t walk ten minutes to the MSC from the Corps dorms, then get a Veo. The MSC is the middle of the university, but the campus doesn’t revolve around it. Many other sections were more reachable with Trigon, like the many engineering students who have classes at Zachry. An unintended consequence is that there is more adaptation needed than pure convenience.
But let’s be real — if we were banking on people not showing up for classes for the bus system to get better, there’s a bigger problem to be addressed than just moving every bus to one place, and this new bus system denitely doesn’t address it.
Joshua Abraham is a kinesiology senior and opinion columnist for The Battalion.
Texas GOP orders house seats like they’re fast food meals
Illustration by Zoe Rich — THE BATTALION
ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
Maroon meets gold in South Bend
12th Man connects with Fighting Irish faithful for a battle of tradition, family, faith on the road in Indiana
By Mathias Cubillan Associate Sports Editor
They came in maroon. They came in boots. They came in droves. On a campus glistening with gilded gables and ringing with the bells of the Basilica, the 12th Man twirled its towels and lled the South Bend, Indiana streets with cheerful “Howdys.”
A year after Notre Dame fans descended on College Station for the rst game in a home-and-home series, thousands of Texas A&M fans made the pilgrimage to a football holy site. Some used the opportunity for family reunions; others turned it into a life milestone.
For Lucas Black ‘19 and Sarah Perna ‘19, the setting served as a backdrop for something more meaningful.Their great weekend began in Chicago, where Black proposed to Perna, and continued with a celebration in South Bend the next day for the game.
A&M football players’ families gather for game day tradition
Football Player Family Tailgate brings parents, loved ones together to support athletes, each other before kicko
By Claire Frazier Life & Arts Writer
Aggie Park on game day is a patchwork of tents and tables blanketed by the smoke of barbecue and the thrum of blasting music. Students laugh and clink plastic cups while former students sling arms around jerseyclad shoulders.
Yet, tucked toward the back, there’s one tailgate with a di erent kind of energy. The spirit is high, but the laughs are softer and the hugs mean just a little bit more.
This tent is lled not with classmates or donors, but with the people who know the players best — their families.
The Aggie Football Player Family Tailgate debuted last year after assistant to the head football coach Brandy Douglass emailed players’ parents to convey that coach Mike Elko and the football organization were interested in initiating an o -site tailgate. Before last season, parents and famil mingled in the Hall of Champions.
Now, they crowd under tents in Aggie Park, enjoying catered food and buzzing with the Aggie spirit.
“There is no way without Brandy Douglass any of this would happen,” parent liaison Jlyn Jackson said. “She’s our biggest advocate. Coach Elko is extremely supportive and encouraging and really wants a community. People have been amazing to make sure that we have that atmosphere to grow, and it’s been important to me personally to make sure that happens for my son.”
As parent liaison, Jackson is in charge of everything but the tents and the tables. She handmakes centerpieces, coordinates with the balloon vendor and the caterers, and organizes a special guest appearance, such as the Yell Leaders or dance team.
“If you go to a lot of other places, they have big tailgates, they have big parties,” Jackson said. “But it’s not this.You don’t have people sitting around genuinely fellowshipping and having that Aggie Spirit. This is the perfect atmosphere, and anything I can do to make sure this stays, I’m going to do.”
But she can’t do it alone. With upward of 100 people stopping by in the hours before kicko , Jackson relies on a team of parent coordinators. Kathryn Buntyn, Amanda Beal and Kathryn Jones make up that team, while other families pitch in nancially or o er services.
“It’s a great contribution and great way to support the team,” Holly O’Neill, the mother of redshirt freshman quarterback Miles O’Neill, said. “Creating the family before you walk in through the gates and get behind the football team, it’s a great way to warm up for the game.”
with some of our closest Aggie friends. It was just really fun.”
That same southern hospitality is what caused one particular Notre Dame lifer to don a hat adorned with an embroidered “Howdy.”
Jim Dailer and his family made the trip in 2024 to Aggieland to watch the Fighting Irish win and said he wanted to welcome visitors to South Bend with the same warmth he experienced.
“Our experience at A&M last year was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had,” Dailer said. “The people were friendly. … All the fans we ran into were fantastic. That’s why I am wearing my A&M hat today, my ‘Howdy hat.’ I told [The Battalion] last year, I said, ‘We’ll treat you just as well here as you treated us down there.’”
For someone willing to accept some maroon into his heart, Dailer still bleeds
… When we saw this on the schedule ve years ago, we said, ‘Hey, we’re going to make sure we experience both of them.’ Glad we did.”
Dailer’s daughter-in-law, Julia Griswold Dailer ‘13, is an Aggie alum who made the trip to South Bend — a role reversal from last year when she showed Dailer and Co. essential monuments around A&M.
“My husband said that he’s never seen him wear a hat from a di erent team or anything from a di erent team, so he must really love me,” Griswold Dailer said.
While Notre Dame doesn’t “hump it” for Midnight Yell or end every conversation with a semi-tedious “Gig ‘em,” it has its own sacred traditions, from the quiet reverence held at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes to the “Play Like a Champion Today” sign in the tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium. Both schools are steeped in tradition — a shared identity Griswold Dailer said makes the matchup extra special.
Our experience at A&M last year was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had.
Jim Dailer Notre Dame fan
“It was awesome,” Black said. “We’ve been waiting to come out here for a few months now, away from family. We both are Catholic, and we’re involved with St. Mary’s. Coming out here for the game meant a lot to us. It was super sweet to do it in Chicago and to celebrate today.”
Despite being over 1,000 miles away from where they reside in Dallas and having no family present, the sprawling network of Aggies provided support for Perna on the special day.
“It was fun to be surprised somewhere I wasn’t expecting it,” Perna said. “It still felt like home because we were in a cathedral
blue and gold. His father — also Jim Dailer — played football for the school in the 1940s for coach Frank Leahy.
He’s been present for heartbreakers like lost home openers and 2005’s “Bush Push.”
He’s been present for all-timers like the Fighting Irish’s win in 1993’s “Game of the Century.” However, the series with A&M, Dailer said, stands out for shared values between the schools.
“We play people like that,” Dailer said. “We play other schools that have great traditions, great fanbases. Like the coaches say all the time, ‘That’s why we come to Notre Dame — to play games like this.’
“I feel like they’re very similar, same character, similar honor code,” Griswold Dailer said. “ … I think that’s really special. And yeah, I mean, obviously kind of like a Catholic background. And I feel like that’s pretty prevalent at A&M, too. I think that they just totally jive.”
As A&M picked up its rst signature win of the coach Mike Elko era with a 4140 last-minute victory, the visitor section swayed to the tune of the “Aggie War Hymn.”
But, more impressively, was the sight of the ecks of maroon dotted through a sea of shamrock green — boots stomping and yells belting out loud.
“I think we only get 5,000 tickets to visitors,” Dailer said. “Obviously, the fact that you’re, you know, not local, it’s a tribute to the A&M fans and community, the fact that they’re going to come and experience what we experience all the time.”
For many parents, the tailgate is about more than food and fellowship — it’s about supporting their players in personal ways.
Natasha Sanford, mother of freshman cornerback Deyjhon Pettaway and junior linebacker Daymion Sanford, said the experience impacts each of her sons di erently.
“They’re night and day compared to each other,” Sanford said. “They need di erent things. My freshman likes all the attention. He wants to be told he’s doing a great job and really thrives o of that. My other son could care less if he has a belt on. He just loves to see who shows up, who’s coming to support him. He likes family being around.”
The impact of the parents’ support doesn’t just a ect the ones wearing the jerseys. For those who attend the tailgate, it creates a community that understands the challenges and unique experiences of being a player’s parent.
“If this didn’t exist for us, it would be an entirely di erent experience, and it would be quite lonely,” Kristin Bourdon, the mother of redshirt freshman o ensive lineman Robert Bourdon, said. “We travel from out of town, but if you didn’t have the family tailgate, there’d be no opportunity to bond with the players’ families. Our son isn’t from Texas, has never been to Texas before coming here to go to school, and so these are people that will stand in for my husband and I when we’re not around. It’s not just a tailgate at all.”
While parents lead the e ort, the tailgate draws in extended family, friends and neighbors to be a part of game day as well. Neighbor to the family of sophomore LB Kyle Garvis, Alexis Walker attended the tailgate before the game against Utah State.
Top to bottom: Texas A&M fans react to a last minute win after Texas A&M’s game against Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. Aggie football fans high-five redshirt sophomore cornerback Dezz Ricks (2) after Texas A&M’s game against Notre Dame at Notre
Adriano Espinosa — THE BATTALION
Trinity Hindman — THE BATTALION
Aggies win barnburner over Fighting Irish
Game-winning Reed-toBoerkircher connection lifts
A&M over Notre Dame
By Mathias Cubillan Associate Sports Editor
After watching his team give up a touchdown with 2:41 left on the clock in a back-and-forth marathon of a game against No. 8 Notre Dame, coach Mike Elko never wavered in his belief in redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed.
Reed marched his maroon-clad brothers from one end of the eld to the other, nding paydirt in the unlikely form of graduate blocking tight end Nate Boerkircher, giving No. 16 Texas A&M the 41-40 victory.
The ice that coursed through Reed’s veins was not a surprise to Elko, who watched the quarterback lead his team on potential game-winning drives in a pair of previous games that were then squandered by the defense.
“In those moments, he has been really good,” Elko said. “It got overshadowed last year because we lost those two games, but he has been really good in those moments. We had a lot of con dence in him.”
Following A&M’s rst win game over a ranked opponent on the road since 2014, Elko left the media — and the greater college football landscape — with a simple message.
“Hopefully you guys won’t have to ask me any more questions about whether or not Marcel can throw,” Elko said.
Marcel Reed’s moment
A seemingly innocuous play, the extra point is a near given in football. But, when Notre Dame botched the hold on the play that would have put them up seven with 2:41 on the clock, the Fighting Irish handed
Reed a lifeline.
Reed fought through back-to-back false start penalties and long down-to-go’s, used his legs to pick up rsts and ipped a prayer towards Boerkircher on fourth down with 13 seconds left.
The former walk-on brie y lost the ball in the lights before wrapping his mitts around it, defender on his back, to incite a maroon explosion on the sideline and win the game for the Aggies.
“It really wasn’t to Nate, it was for KC,” Reed said. “Nate happened to end up in a one-on-one matchup with a backer. So, threw the ball, he’s a big guy and great hands. I told him we loved him.”
While Reed’s day ended in reworks and ecstasy, it wasn’t always pretty as he completed 17-37 passes for 360 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Despite this, Elko rea rmed the con dence he has in his signal caller as a passer.
“That narrative was one of the most unfair narratives that had ever been created,” Elko said. “The kid was a top-10 returningQBR kid, completed over 60% of his passes, his touchdown-to-interception rate was elite. For some reason because he came into the LSU game … the story became that he can’t throw.”
Craving big plays
Much like beloved midwestern convenience store Casey’s, sophomore wide receiver Mario Craver is always open to South Bend, Indiana residents.
When the Aggies opened up the pocketbooks and brought in transfers Craver and junior WR KC Concepcion, they couldn’t have asked for anything more. Through three games, the tandem has combined for 670 yards and seven touchdowns.
Craver single-handedly lifted A&M out of an early hole with a whirlybird of a touchdown, pirouetting around ailing
Golden Domers for an 86-yard catch and run to tie the game at seven.The Mississippi State transfer’s third straight game of 100plus yards put him in rari ed air, becoming the second Aggie to do so after Ryan Swope.
“I don’t know how [Craver] stayed up,” Reed said. “That was crazy. I was trying to look over for the next play, I see him stay up, I start running to the end zone. That dude’s freaky.”
His partner in crime, Concepcion, also shined under the re ection of Notre Dame’s Golden Dome, racking up 82 yards. When A&M’s o ense was at its clunkiest in the second quarter, back-to-back highpoint catches set up a senior running back Le’Veon Moss touchdown plunge.
Grief is the Price we pay for Love
When Queen Elizabeth II uttered the phrase “Grief is the price we pay for love,” she likely didn’t think that it would ring true for the travelling 12th Man that had to watch junior running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price run riot over the Aggies.
Coming into the matchup, Elko knew the running backs in blue and gold were the point of di erence, calling the Notre Dame running back pairing “as talented a duo as I’ve played against.”
The running back duo showed every bit of that talent, combining for 215 allpurpose yards and four touchdowns.
Love was a man possessed on the fourth quarter go-ahead drive for Notre Dame, doing his best Thomas Francis Meagher impression as he nearly led the Irish to glory behind his 35 total yards and 12-yard touchdown scamper.
Love, the consensus best running back in the country, dodged, ducked, dipped, dove and dodged his way through Aggie tacklers to grind out 94 yards on the ground. Through the air, Love needed just one hand to showcase his ability, reeling in a 36-yard
touchdown catch.
When Love was struggling to nd creases to squirm through, Price was a welcome change-of-pace piece for the Fighting Irish as he fought through arm tackles for 68 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Self-in icted wounds early
After a rst o ensive drive that featured a drop, a near interception and a holding penalty, A&M attempted to wipe its hands and pretend the bad start didn’t happen with a punt. Unfortunately for the visitors, Notre Dame held a team meeting at the foot of redshirt sophomore punter Tyler White, blocking his attempt and returning it for a score under the watchful eyes of Touchdown Jesus.
“I think one of the key factors is going to be the punt battle,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said on Thursday before the game. “They have a big-time punter with a big-time leg. We have to try to a ect them with our punt return unit, and the same thing goes for our punt unit, right?”
Following Craver’s tornadic touchdown that drew A&M level, Notre Dame riled up the Irish faithful with a reverse ea icker that went for 47 yards. The trick play, in and of itself a lack of Aggie discipline, was only made possible because redshirt sophomore cornerback Dezz Ricks unnecessarily shoved Love into the benches while making a tackle, drawing a penalty and extending the Fighting Irish’s drive. Elko threw a chair in frustration and chewed out his defense after the drive.
“I don’t know that that thing went to script in any way, shape or form,” Elko said. “We battled through. … We kept ghting … ultimately made the play we needed to make to win a football game on the road.”
The Aggies have an extra week to prepare to avoid the slow start with an upcoming bye week, but will look to avoid it entirely against No. 24 Auburn on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Clockwise from top: Sophomore wide receiver Terry Bussey (2) breaks a tackle during Texas A&M’s game against Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. Graduate tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) reacts to a game-winning touchdown during Texas A&M’s game against Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. Sophomore wide receiver Mario Craver (1) breaks a tackle during Texas A&M’s game against Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.
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‘An exceptional student experience’
As debates rage over the future of college football, it’s carving out its niche in the UK
By Ian Curtis Editor-in-Chief
After the Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Cardinals played an exhibition game in London’s Wembley Stadium in 1983, a peculiar poster suddenly appeared on a pub wall in Nottingham, England: “Big guys wanted for American football team.”
“The rst day, we had about 100 people,” British American Football Association, or BAFA, archivist and historian Dave Tidswell said. “There was no equipment, but just rugby balls. But one guy came along who had been on holiday to the States, would you believe, and he got a proper American football that he could kind of half throw. So all of a sudden ‘Oh, well, you could be the quarterback,’ whatever it was. And it sort of developed from there.”
And so began the Nottingham Hoods, one of Britain’s rst teams in a semi-pro domestic league that would eventually see the likes of Budweiser and Coca-Cola sponsor the league in the late 1980s. Slowly, American football carved out a — quite small — niche in a British sporting culture dominated by association football, cricket and rugby.
A mix of curious British lads and homesick Americans made up the league originally, although a handful of American former college football “import players” quickly made their mark — notably, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton’s stint on the Leicester Panthers.
“We had a running back from Illinois, a guy called Cli Stroughter, and in the season — which was 10-game season, I think at that point — he ran for 3,104 yards, scored 51 touchdowns, because all we did was just give him the ball,”Tidswell said. “I used to play kind of a hybrid fullback, tight end role, and I [would] just seal the corner, and he’d poof, give him a second, he’d be gone.”
Tidswell has seen it all from the beginning, serving as a player, coach, administrator and in practically every other role in the sport in the United Kingdom. He now serves as BAFA’s historian, helping organize the Britball Hall of Fame.
But while the British game has certainly evolved from the days of “Big guys wanted,” the peak of professional football in the UK has seemingly passed. Long gone are the days of NFL Europe, and there’s no Budweiser money sponsoring the adult league any longer. Europe’s strongest league, the European League of Football, has no British franchise.
But the sport has found a piece of fertile ground from which it can grow across the UK: universities, where teams from 75 schools compete across British Universities and Colleges Sport, or BUCS, competition.
‘A very unique coaching challenge’
An hour west of Big Ben in the suburb of Uxbridge lies Brunel University of London. One of England’s “Plate Glass” colleges that were founded or expanded in the 1960s, the brutalist campus is home to a world-class design school and stellar engineering programs.
It’s also home to one of Britain’s best college football teams, the Brunel Burners.
Led by 27-year-old coach James Kelvin, the Burners are the defending league champions of the highest tier of BUCS competition — the pinnacle of college football in the UK.
Like most players, Kelvin picked up the game when he was in college, quickly moving on to coaching the sport on a volunteer basis — common among university American football coaching jobs in the UK — before taking the head coach position with Brunel before last season.
The BUCS environment presents an interesting challenge, because it involves coaching players who may have never watched the sport before, side-by-side with athletes who have played for colleges in the United States.
“It’s a very unique coaching challenge in the sense that you basically have guys who sometimes you have to literally teach them what a rst down is, and then in four weeks, they’re running a cover three sky,” Kelvin said. “Like it’s a very accelerated growth. And the beauty of it is how quick these guys do pick it up.”
Sometimes, that can be a rough adjustment period, Kelvin says. But the Burners know who to recruit.
“Now, realistically, they don’t play a lot before Christmas because they don’t know what the fuck is going on,” Kelvin said. “I’ll be very blunt with you. But what we’ve had real success with is at Brunel is we are a London-based university. A lot of our kids come from London. … They’ll have played basketball, English soccer and stu or ran track. And those are sports that translate really well to American football. It’s not particularly di cult, as you could probably imagine, if you’ve got a six-foot-three guy playing power forward to teach him how to catch a jump ball.”
Taj Choksi, a linebacker and defensive end who captains the Imperial College
London Immortals, grew up watching the sport thanks to his Canadian father but never got the chance to play until he arrived at university.
He said it’s American football’s unique mix of physical and mental challenges that appeals to students like himself.
“It’s like no other sport, because other sports usually require so much physical exercise or physical ability, or it’s mental like chess or something,” Choksi said. “This is one of the only sports where I think it really has a kind of a great blend of both and again, is why I started watching in the rst place.”
‘Teams are getting better’
Tonye Dokubo was another student who picked up the game in his university days. He grew up playing tennis before being introduced to American football while attending Lancaster University in 2015.
Dokubo, now the programme manager of BUCS American football, has represented Great Britain in international competition; he’s also competed for the London Blitz and London Warriors, two teams in the domestic British league.
He says that his role with BUCS is to give back to the sport and allow future generations to have the same opportunities and experience he has had.
“It’s my way to ensure that those who come after me, the future generations, are able to experience this great sport and essentially go with the sport as far as they essentially want to go,” Dokubo said. “Ultimately, that is the great bene t I get from it. It’s allowing others to enjoy what I’ve enjoyed through the sport.”
Kelvin believes that the future of the sport in the UK needs to focus on the university game. He says the costs of paying to play in the adult league are causing participation levels to drop, especially given the current cost of living crisis in Britain.
“However, in the university game, participation numbers are rising,” Kelvin said. “Teams are getting bigger. Teams are getting better. Teams are getting faster. More international students are coming abroad to come play here. And that, for me, is what excites me, is, I think the university level over here, it’s getting to a sort of really good level up top.”
In his position with BUCS, Dokubo sees that the cost crisis a ects British universities, too.
“There are a lot of cuts in the [higher education] space,” Dokubo said. “So with those limited resources trying to justify spending, however much institutions are spending on American football can sometimes be a hard argument to make. So that will forever, sort of be the biggest obstacle.”
One particular manifestation of the nancial challenge is travel cost — a manifestation similar to the debate over travel feasibility raging in the American college athletics world in today’s era of conference realignment.
“For us, because we only have 77 teams, we have instances where teams are sort of vastly spread across the UK, which ultimately leads to sort of extensive travel for some teams which, like I said, is sort of linked to that cost issue,” Dokubo said.
Despite the di culties that the sport faces, there is still a goal to climb back to the sport’s glory days in the UK, Dokubo said. The NFL’s London games draw plenty of support, and the days of NFL Europe proved that the sport can be professional in the UK.
The challenge now is channeling that support into a consistent grassroots e ort to grow the game.
“You go to university games, or you go to local community games, and at most, you probably see, on average, 50, 70, people in attendance at those games,” Dokubo said.
“And it is quite disappointing because, again, we know that there is an appetite for American football in the UK. We know that there are fans of American football in the UK, so it’s just nding a way to get those people interested and following their local teams.”
Choksi says the sport is too hidden and can hardly be found below the university level in Britain. It’s a problem that’s slowly being recti ed by BAFA, the NFL and independent camps that Choksi has helped volunteer for.
“American football doesn’t exist until you reach the age of 18 and go looking for it,” Choksi said. “ … But it’s getting kids more used to the idea that not only does the sport exist in America, but you can actually play the sport here. And once they realize that, and they know that that’s a pathway for them, I think it will grow the sport more.”
With many fans unsatis ed with the state of college football in the U.S. given the money ooding into the sport, it’s refreshing to hear the way people like Kelvin and Dokubo talk about the game.
Photo courtesy of Dave Tidswell and Mark Bell
Photo courtesy of James Kelvin
Top to bottom: Brunel Burners coach Kelvin James speaks to his team after a college football game in the United Kingdom. Sean Payton plays quarterback for the Leicester Panthers during the 1988 season in the United Kingdom. Brunel Burners coach Kelvin James coaches in the rain during a college football game in the United Kingdom. The Brunel Burners college football team celebrates together after winning
Photo courtesy of James Kelvin
Photo courtesy of James Kelvin
A&M tennis takes on tournament in Tulsa
Transfers and international players headline ITA AllAmerican Championship
By Roman Arteaga Senior Sports Writer
Texas A&M men’s and women’s tennis will be taking their talents to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to compete at the ITA AllAmerican Championship from Sept. 20 to 28. The tournament is composed of the best singles players and doubles teams from across the country. Both fall seasons are young, and the Aggies will aim to put on a stellar performance.
The men began their campaign at the Waco Fall Kicko Classic, where four Aggies put on exceptional performances as all players reached their singles bracket nal, highlighted by Silva’s bracket crown.
Sophomore Theo Papamalamis
A silky smooth player from France, Papamalamis has demonstrated that he can be a key contributor in both singles and doubles, earning a collegiate career-best No. 14 ranking in singles and reaching
No. 6 in doubles this season. With his con dent game from the baseline and net, Papamalamis was able to capture ve ranked singles wins and seven ranked doubles wins. A player with a huge love for the game, he will be one of the key factors for the Maroon and White in this tournament and throughout the season.
Sophomore Alexander Frusina
An Auburn transfer who was named AllSEC Second Team and All-SEC Freshman Team, Frusina will be a great addition to the Fightin’ Farmers. Now No. 34 in singles and No. 10 in doubles, Frusina is a player with a lot of power and is not afraid to go for big-time winners. He will be sure to bully whoever he is matched up with, utilizing his rocket of a forehand and smooth movement.
Junior Kholo Montsi
A late addition to the team, Montsi will be sure to provide some spark for the Maroon and White. The former Oklahoma Sooner is a quick player who’s consistent from beyond the baseline and will be sure to utilize his speed for his incredible defense. This is the key for Montsi: Though
undersized, defense could force opponents into errors he could take advantage of. Be sure to watch out as he takes the court for the Aggies.
The women’s team will begin its fall campaign at the Rice Invitational in Houston before heading toward Cary, North Carolina, to compete at the ITA AllAmerican Championship. Coming o of a season where it nished as NCAA runnersup, the Aggies are poised to dominate in both singles and doubles.
Senior Nicole Khirin
Following the graduation of former ITA National Player of the Year, Mary Stoiana, Khirin has taken the role as leader for A&M. Currently ranked No. 7, Khirin has proven time and time again that she can perform on the big stage, as she was named to the NCAA Tournament All-Singles Team and All-Doubles Team in 2024, along with AllAmerican honors in 2025.
With one of the strongest forehands and backhands in the game, Khirin gives her opponents nightmares on the court from the baseline and is de nitely not afraid to charge the net for easy volleys. Watch for her to take the draw by storm at the ITA All-American Championship.
The senior from Canada ranks a careerhigh No. 22 in singles and No. 38 in doubles and will look to make huge contributions throughout this tournament and season. A proven leader for this Aggie squad, Kupres has spent her entire collegiate career in maroon. With tremendous performances from last year, Kupres earned All-SEC Second Team recognition and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. Her expertise at the net resembles a brick wall and will be sure to frustrate opponents as she secures easy points.
Junior Lucciana Perez
The star from Peru has given A&M energy over the last two years. Perez has reached her career-high ranking in doubles at No. 11, while proving she can be dangerous in singles as well, currently ranked No. 32.
A defensive-minded player, Perez excels in tiring out her opponent while waiting to attack. After multiple defensive stops, Perez attacks with powerful backhands to force her opponents into errors and is sure to be a contributing factor at this upcoming tournament.
Left to right: Sophomore Lucciana Perez hits the ball during Texas A&M’s match against Georgia at Mitchel Tennis Center on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Freshman Theo Papamalamis prepares to strike the ball during Texas A&M’s tennis match against South Carolina at Mitchell Tennis Center on Friday, March 28, 2025.
Ashely Bautista — THE BATTALION
Senior Mia Kupres
Adriano Espinosa — THE BATTALION
By Noah Ruiz Senior Sports Writer
Games around Texas during A&M’s bye week
No. 10 Texas A&M football is coming o its most impressive road win in over a decade after taking care of then-No. 8 Notre Dame in 41-40 fashion. Now, the Aggies will enter their bye week undefeated. With that said, there’s still a lot of football happening in the great state of Texas, from the Brazos Valley to the Rio Grande River. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest games that will be happening around the state while the Aggies are on temporary leave.
Arizona State vs. Baylor at 6:30 p.m. on FOX
A Big 12 Conference opener for both teams, this contest will have serious implications for both victor and loser. Baylor redshirt senior quarterback Sawyer Robertson has begun the season on a tear, already reaching over 1,000 passing yards after three games. Additionally, the Bears rank in the top 5 nationally in passing yards per game, while adding 10 touchdown passes through the air.
On the ip side, the Sun Devils are desperate to get back on track after falling to
unranked Mississippi State in Week 2, e ectively knocking them out of the AP Poll. Arizona State’s not-so-secret weapon is junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, a man who is not afraid to get his hands dirty with 24 catches for 314 yards and four touchdowns. It’s an even matchup, with evenly high stakes for both teams early in the season. The College Football Playo is a tall mountain to climb over with such a small margin for error; a 2-2 start for either school could prove deadly for postseason chances.
Chattanooga vs. Tarleton State at 6 p.m. on ESPN+
A Football Championship Subdivision playo team a season ago, Tarleton State did what many assumed was impossible when it upset Football Bowl Subdivision team Army in Week 2. Since then, the Texans have dominated their past two opponents with a combined score of 115-13.
The Mocs will arrive in Stephenville with a record of 1-2 and a hunger to take
UT Permian Basin vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville at 7 p.m. on FloCollege
Few Division II programs can match the historical production of Texas A&M-Kingsville. In its glory days, known as Texas A&I, the Javelinas had two players go on to have Hall-of-Fame careers in the NFL.
The rst was o ensive guard Gene Upshaw, also known as “Highway 63.” He was drafted 17th overall by the Oakland Raiders in 1967. Upshaw went on to win Super Bowl 11 and 15 in the iconic Silver and Black before being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
The second Javelina legend was defensive tackle John Randle; the Mumford native became the rst undrafted First Team All-Pro in NFL history and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.
The Falcons, however, don’t have as much history; their program was founded in 2016. Sticking to the present, UTPB is bent on starting its season 3-0 with a matchup with TAMU-Kingsville. The Javelinas come in 1-1 and will instead look to steer themselves clear of Division II disappointment.
back control of their season. Chattanooga dropped its rst two games but rebounded with a 63-0 thrashing of Stetson this past weekend.
The gas is still being poured into the Tarleton engine, and perhaps a quick dispatch of the Mocs will help the Texans stay in charge of their destiny in the Football Championship Subdivision playo picture.
Football has arrived in Edinburg, and it couldn’t have shown up in a more impactful way. The Vaqueros have started their inaugural season with a 3-0 record, averaging a jaw-dropping 57.7 points per game.
Coach Travis Bush has taken the reins as head man of his rst college program after previously serving as head coach at Canyon High School in New Braunfels, where he
led the Cougars to their rst nine-win season in 17 years in 2022. Texas Wesleyan, however, boasts a 1-1 record after falling in its season opener versus Lindsey Wilson College, 45-10. It seems this is Bush and the Vaqueros’ game to lose, and perhaps the legend of UTRGV’s epic rst season will continue uncontested.
Week 4 sta picks: e semester e Batt sta watched too much TSITP
