For the final game of the season on Saturday, Nov. 26, Aggies will come together to honor the Spirit of Aggieland by dressing in maroon and white to stripe the stands, organized by Maroon Out. During the modified version of the all-maroon apparel game, the first and third decks of Kyle Field have been instructed to wear maroon, and the second deck has been instructed to wear white, aiming to create a “maroon and white oreo” in the stadium. Management senior and Executive Director of Maroon Out Kim-Quyen Nguyen said Maroon Out decided to have Stripe the Stands to give Aggies an extra boost of spirit as the season comes to a close. “Stripe the Stands is basically a display of Aggie unity and community,” Nguyen said. “[Stripe the Stands] really reminded us of the origin of Maroon Out that was started to encourage Aggie Spirit, right when we think not we're not gonna win. It shows that whatever happens, the 12th Man can come together and really put on just a beautiful display to show how powerful we are.” Nguyen said she is eager to see the 12th Man come together for the last game, especially with the disappointing season the Aggies had this year. “If I know anything about Aggies, it is that we're going to come through,” Nguyen said. “I'm just excited to see what the 12th Man is going to pull together. Reflecting back, It'll be our 25th shirt next year and every single year the 12th Man pulls through. This is just such a supported and beloved tradition.” Partnerships with KBTX TV station, utilizing their philanthropy Texas Task Force One’s platform, sponsored posts with Texas A&M Ventures, handing out flyers and posting on Facebook and TikTok have tremendously helped with getting the word out about this year’s Stripe the Stands, Nguyen said. “We also just did our best like word of mouth. Just asking people ‘Are you going to the LSU game?’ and '[Which] deck do you think you're sitting [on]?'” Nguyen said. “That's just been awesome — being present on campus. Walking around with big T-shirts and letting people see and ask, ‘What's up with the big T-shirt that has two colors on the side?” Kinesiology sophomore and Public Relations Director for Maroon Out Asma-Maria El-Tayssoun said the Maroon Out team was inspired to do Stripe the Stands after their successful the Standing for America game in September 2021. “I’m hoping for the feeling again I had with the Standing for America game, just the overall unity of seeing all the Aggies like wearing maroon and white, just showing our pride and showing LSU can't hurt us,” El-Tayssoun said. “We're all here together — the 12th Man is here to support our football team.” El-Tayssoun said Maroon Out has gotten immense feedback and support from students for Stripe the Stands. “I feel like it's gonna be pretty successful because we have gotten the numbers back for all the shirts we've sold and been like, ‘Oh, okay!'” El-Tayssoun said. “Even if they're not wearing the shirt in Kyle Field, I just know I'm gonna see Maroon Out everywhere. I know some students are not going to be able to make it to the game because of Thanksgiving stuff, but even if they can't make it and they're still representing Stripe the Stands, it's still unifying us.” Sports management senior and Director of Social Media for Maroon Out Celina Hernandez said Maroon Out worked with A&M Athletics to create a design that was easy and simple for fans to buy into Stripe the Stands. “It wasn't a design that took away from the meaning of it, which is for us to come together and really just show what we can do,” Hernandez said. “Because it's always more than a shirt. It's what we can do together.” Hernandez said as social media director, she has seen first-hand how crucial social media platforms have been to get the word out about Stripe the Stands. “We’re hoping Kyle Field has that beautiful stripe of white on the second deck,” Hernandez said. “We're definitely expecting a lot of positive feedback. We're hoping that especially a lot of old Ags understand what we're trying to do with this. We're not trying to take away anything from tradition to the past — we just want to display the Aggie spirit in the power of the Aggie network and for us to create a beautiful display of that spirit in Kyle Field tonight.” Hernandez said her favorite part of preparing for Stripe the Stands this year has been spreading the word and educating others on their mission of giving back to the university and to students. “I know we're gonna be wearing jackets at the game, but maybe just leave it a little unzipped, especially on the second deck so we can see [the white],” Hernandez said. “We hope it's gonna be good.”

2023 Grammy nominations are officially out and on trial in the court of public opinion. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, the Recording Academy released its complete list of nominees for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Unsurprisingly, nominations repeatedly highlighted artists such as Harry Styles, Adele, Beyoncé, ABBA and Kendrick Lamar, with albums like “Harry’s House” (2022), “30” (2021) and “Renaissance” (2022) dominating most of the major categories. Doja Cat and Taylor Swift also make an inevitable appearance, with “Woman” and “All Too Well (10 minute version) (The Short Film)” showing up in several categories. Despite the vague nod of public approval that accompanied nominations for some of the highest-grossing and generally most popular albums of this year, there always seems to be a few things that the Academy gets wrong. Starting off with Album of the Year, nominations for this category feature several artists with the potential to take home the title. Based on her past popularity with the academy, Grammy Awards veteran Beyoncé may be the favorite to win for her album “Renaissance,” however Adele’s “30” will not be going down without a fight. In a matchup similar to the 2017 Grammy Awards where Adele’s “25” (2015) faced Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” (2016) and won, these two powerhouses appear to be the front-runners in this category of the awards once again. Other strong contenders in the Album of the Year category include Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” (2022) and Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” (2022). “Un Verano Sin Ti,” while receiving its well-deserved nomination for Album of the Year as the first-ever Spanish album in a major category, surprisingly did not break through into the Song or Record of the Year categories, leaving Bad Bunny fans upset at the Puerto Rican rapper’s absence in major areas of the awards. Similarly, another large cause of public outcry against this year’s nominations is the obvious lack of attention to Rosalía’s “Motomami” (2022), which earned an impressive eight nominations at the Latin Grammy’s and a mere three at these awards, none of which are in major categories. Rosalía’s surprising snub sits alongside other female artists such as Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion and the K-pop girl group BlackPink, all of whose names were interestingly excluded from this year's nominations. Florence and the Machine also shockingly only received one nomination in the category of Best Alternative Music Performance for her song “King,” snubbing “Dance Fever” (2022) of any nominations in the alternative album category. In regards to Song of the Year, the fight between Adele and Beyoncé — as well as Harry Styles, Kendrick Lamar and Lizzo, — now has a new contender: Taylor Swift. Receiving a nomination for “All Too Well (10 minute version)(The Short Film),” this song is an interesting contender among the mix, seeing as it is a re-released version of a song originally debuted back in 2012 on Swift’s album “Red.” During its original release, “Red” was shockingly snubbed of receiving any awards, leaving fans hopeful that “All Too Well (10 minute version)(The Short Film),” as well as “I Bet You Think About Me,” — which is nominated in two country categories — will not face the same fate. Despite the undeniable success of “All Too Well (10 minute version),” it's not necessarily a clear-cut favorite to win, with Adele’s “Easy on Me,” Beyoncé’s “Break my Soul” and Harry Styles’ “As It Was” all being incredibly successful nominations in the category. While “All Too Well (10 minute version)” may be more successful in the Best Music Video category, Swift is still a strong contender across the categories for which she is nominated. Other notable nominations at this year’s awards include Ozzy Osborn for “Patient Number 9” — with Osborn being nominated in four rock and metal categories — Wet Leg, who received an impressive five nominations for a new artist, the cast of “Encanto” and Coldplay for “Music of Spheres” (2021).

While many students venture home for the break, some opt to stay in the College Station area. Aggies dive into what Thanksgiving means to them personally, and why they have decided to stay in town during the three days off from school. Thanksgiving brings to mind many different things: turkey, family, cooking and parades. For finance junior Maggie Bright, a College Station local, it means being surrounded by almost 30 family members, making for a memorable, jam-packed day. “We start the day by having a Turkey Bowl,” Bright said. “The winning team doesn’t get much besides bragging rights, but that is enough for my family. Then, we head back to my house and start cooking for lunch. Right before we eat we say a prayer, and everyone says one thing they are grateful for.” Where some families would end the day after the meal, the Brights keep the party going. Bright remarks that this is part of what makes the holiday so special and the love for her family so strong. “We reconvene and start gambling after lunch,” Bright said. “We play poker and blackjack with real money, and then we gamble away until you literally have none or you won it all. This lasts until about midnight, and then everyone goes home.” Public health senior Katie Guye also lives in College Station, but most of her extended family is in Illinois, where she’s originally from. To make the most of the day, Guye’s family welcomes friends and strangers into their home. “My favorite part is having everybody over at my parent’s house,” Guye said. “On Thanksgiving Day, we always have a big party [with] family friends, students who can’t go home, single people and kids. It's fun to have a holiday that’s normally very family-focused to be with all kinds of people.” Guye’s part-time job at Sweet Eugene’s is another factor causing her to stay in town during the break, since she is an opening manager at the coffee shop. Nevertheless, she remains optimistic about the upcoming festivities. “The idea of putting a bunch of time and effort into this one meal is really cool,” Guye said. “You spend so much time cooking and it's just to love on people [and] getting to spend time with them without distractions.” Biomedical sciences sophomore Nicole Adams said she is appreciative of her family traveling from Dallas to spend time with her in College Station. Adams said she’s looking forward to a specific part of the meal. “My favorite part about Thanksgiving is the food, hands down,” Adams said. “I’m a big potato gal. I love sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, any kind of potato. My mom cooks well, so I have all the side dishes.” Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without the mention of Black Friday, which Adams finds too daunting to participate in despite liking the idea of it. “I’ve always wanted to go Black Friday shopping, but I don’t like waiting in line,” Adams said. “Online shopping like Cyber Monday is a good idea; I might have to try that.” Whether home is near or far from College Station, students are making the most of the time they have off from school and focusing on what they are grateful for. “I was blessed with a wonderful life and a wonderful family,” Bright said. “It is my favorite holiday because of the people I am with and what we do all day. I want my future family to experience how amazing it is to spend time with family, and maybe they will love it as much as me.”

Aggie students enjoyed a night of free entertainment featuring Great Dane and Kitsch. On Friday, Nov. 18, the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, Town Hall put on its last fall concert of the semester, featuring Great Dane and Kitsch. Students gathered at the Aggie Park Amphitheatre with friends to enjoy free entertainment by great performers. The MSC Town Hall leaders kicked off this weekend with one last concert before the semester comes to an end. Electronic systems senior and sound executive Landry Good said he knew Great Dane and Kitsch would bring great entertainment for the last performance. “That's crazy that we've seen a couple of these performers before, whether it be on their own or in different bands,” Good said. “So we did have an idea of what kind of music they would be bringing to the table. We knew that it would be really good, so I was just looking forward to seeing what else they were doing.” Nutrition senior and MSC Town Hall chair Gracie Tinsley said she previously knew these bands from her own experience of attending concerts. “I love the community of live music. That's the number one reason I got into it,” Tinsley said. “I started knowing a lot of the bands just from going to local shows in the area, and then [asking] ‘Hey, come play for us’ and they're like, ‘oh my gosh, yeah,’ and so that's really exciting.” Especially for Aggies, there’s nothing more special than showcasing live events to bring together the community. Telecommunication media studies junior Sofia Mora, also the large-scale events executive of the MSC Town Hall, said live music is something so special as it tends to bring a lot of people together. “I don't think I've ever been to a concert where people have just had a bad time,” Mora said. “The College Station scene is so tight knit and we all know each other really well. Then you bring your friends that other people don't know and they meet other people and it's kind of like a web of people just all meeting each other. It's just all around a really great environment to be in. I think it's really uplifting and distracts from anything bad going on.” Concerts like MSC Town Hall’s fall concerts pave the way for all types of performers. These events not only help raise awareness about local bands, but also about student bands. “I would absolutely encourage other students to come to these events,” Mora said. “I think that because they're so accessible because [the events are] on campus, it really gives the student bands a platform. I've known about Kitsch since their start because I was good friends with their lead singer back in high school, but Great Dane I had not previously heard of until Gracie had introduced me to them, and I love them. I think that they were great. They were so fun.” Tinsley said these local performers, along with student performers, deserve great amounts of support because they work very hard for their talent, and deserve to be appreciated. “I definitely encourage students to come to our events, but also just support your fellow students and what they’re doing,” Tinsley said. “It takes a lot to have a band and [put] effort into your artistry.”

The clanging of weights and loud speakers overhead is a sound very familiar to a lot of Aggies. As the Southside Recreation Center opened its doors at the start of this semester, the gym culture of Texas A&M was made accessible to even more of the student body. Just the main Rec Center alone receives an average of 8,000 visitors a day, according to a Texas A&M Today article, and each of these gym-goers have their own unique motivation, routine and reason for being in the gym. Many people are pushed to pick up a weight or turn on a treadmill for the first time for a similar reason: aesthetics. But many stayed for something more personal. “When I first started going to the gym, it was to look better,” history sophomore Ben Ford said. “It's fun. I think it's a fun time, especially when I can do it with friends, it's like a fun activity I can do with the guys.” Construction science sophomore Jacob Morris said the main reason he goes to the gym is just because he enjoys it. “I guess it’s also nice to see strength gains and size gains but if anything I just enjoy it for the workout itself,” Morris said. Many more people felt the same way. Engineering freshman Tamnay Chhimwal said they started working out due to boredom and a desire to improve themselves. “I really didn’t have much to do and I really wasn’t happy with how my body looked,” Chhimwal said. “I’m happy with the results, I like the way I look. And it's really satisfying seeing my hard work paying off.” Even though many Aggies started working out in order to improve their looks, they were all able to find another reason to stay. “It gave me a new hobby to add to myself,” Chhimwal said. Some have even been able to make major progress in the Rec. Agricultural journalism and communications freshman Roger Zamarripa said they’ve lost 175 pounds in a year. However, Zamarripa said there was much more improvement in his life besides just the physical changes. “If you have a lot of stress and worries in your life, you don’t realize how much physical activity can help relieve that stress emotionally,” Zamarripa said.“So if you’re feeling like that, then maybe you should go to the gym.” Others have very specific goals in mind whenever they get up to hit the gym. “I want to be able to carry my wife to our bed on our wedding day,” history junior David Jahn said. Biology junior Daniel Garrido said his dad influenced him to start taking physical fitness seriously. “Health is one of the most important things in my life, next to my family and the relationships I have,”Garrido said. Music can be essential in order to get into the right headspace to exercise, and just like motivations, each Aggies’ playlist is unique to them, and specific exercises can call for specific genres. “Anytime I’m hitting chest or arms … I’ll try to listen to [19]90s gangster rap, but if it's legs I usually listen to [19]90s grunge like Rage Against the Machine or Red Hot Chili Peppers,” Ford said. Chhimwal said they enjoy listening to something hard-hitting on gym days too. “I listen to really loud music on leg days especially to mentally get ready,” Chhimwal said. “I’m really into Playboi Carti. I play the [Narcissist] tour remixes on SoundCloud … They're so fire.” However, not everyone always listens to something hardcore. “You would think I’m listening to super-fast music, but I’m more of a classical guy, so I like listening to slow music,” Zimarripa said.“I’m religious so I like worship music.” “Sometimes it's soul or ambient,” Morris said. “Sometimes it's rap or metal.” At times, the hardest thing about going to the gym is making the commitment to go. Especially beginners will frequently have trouble making their first trip to the gym, and it can be very easy for anyone to psych themselves out. Morris and Ford said to get past this, you just have to do it. “Stop trying to rationalize it a whole bunch,” Morris said. “You can think of a million reasons not to go… but just go.” “Just get out of your bed and do it,” Ford said. Although it might be intimidating at first, you won’t regret committing to improving yourself, Chhimwa said. “You from one year ago wished they looked like you now,” Chhimwa said. “You from a year ago would be proud of what you’ve done so far. You wouldn’t believe you came this far.” And finally, Zamarripa said that working out can put you on a path to a fulfilling life. “There’s no true definition of winning in life,” Zamarripa said. “But if you’re healthy, and you’ve got yourself in the right mindset, you’re essentially winning at life, so look at life that way. As long as you’re strong in faith and strong in your ph

The Texas A&M football team is no longer in contention for a bowl game after incurring its sixth straight loss to the Auburn Tigers. Students enlist their opinions on the state of our football team. As of Nov. 12, the Aggies have the worst conference record among any SEC football teams in the East or West division. Students commonly summed up the season with the same one word: disappointment. The Aggies started off the season with a domineering win over Sam Houston State. However, the win was followed by a shocking loss to Appalachian State. Biomedical sciences junior Anna Schneider said she thought the Aggies would bounce back after the loss. “I thought we would have made serious adjustments early on in all aspects of the [season] because that loss was so embarrassing,” Schneider said. Psychology sophomore Justice Jenson said despite the hiccup against Appalachian State, the loss to Alabama felt worse. “The Alabama loss hit the hardest because we were two yards away from victory,” Jenson said. “I believe we could have won that game by a solid amount if Jimbo had an offensive coordinator. I think he is a good coach, but he has too much on his plate.” Although the Aggies won’t see a bowl game for the first time in over 10 years, there is still faith to be had in Fisher, Jenson said. “I believe [Jimbo Fisher] is a good head coach who needs to hire an offensive coordinator,” Jenson said. “Frankly, he is not a very good offensive coordinator. As a leader, organizer, recruiter and developer, I absolutely still have faith.” Schneider said she felt the complete opposite. “It’s hard to still have faith in him when his post-game comments and promises are not being kept,” Schneider said. “I have seen almost no improvement throughout the entire season.” While there are mixed feelings about Fisher as a head coach, there is work to be done about the team overall. With our pass protection statistic ranking 14th in the SEC this year, Jenson said the offensive line needs to improve in order to win. “The loss of sophomore center Bryce Foster has obviously been devastating,” Jenson said. “We have got to keep our young [quarterbacks] with good developmental traits, and it’s hard to fast track their development with a bad [offensive line].” Schneider said this improvement needs to start on the other side of the ball. “A couple of our losses were by small margins,” Schneider said. “Those could have been completely different if we were able to stop the other teams’ offense consistently. We have seen a fluctuation in our offense abilities with different quarterbacks, but our defense has had little improvement.” It is apparent that A&M’s losing record affects the future of Aggie football. The team has already experienced a decommitment from the No. 1 five-star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., with Jenson saying this may not be a bad thing. “We will likely see some transfers this offseason, but maybe that is for the best,” Jenson said. “We can weed out the players that do not really love Aggie football. This allows us to keep more closely to our identity.” It has been a tough season for the 12th Man. Nevertheless, the spirit of Aggieland prevails. Schneider said she went to all of the games because of the tight-knit community of A&M. “I will always be proud to be an Aggie,” Schneider said. “Although it is more fun to be a part of a winning football organization, there are plenty of other reasons to feel proud that we are at A&M.”

Traditions are essential to the culture of Texas A&M, and with Bonfire, both old and new students come together to honor the memory. Bonfire represented the Aggies “burning desire” to beat the University of Texas in football, but gradually became a symbol for the relationships between Aggies, according to the Bonfire memorial website. It burned yearly until the collapse in 1999 which caused the death of 12 Aggies and injured 27. Aggies who were on campus during this time remember the pain felt throughout campus and the ways the community came together to heal. Student Bonfire continues, and although they are now located off-campus, students can still participate in the event. Gina Teafatiller, Class of 2001, said she remembers hearing about Bonfire while driving in her car to campus. “They had done some sort of compilation song already,” Teafatiller said. “It was heart-wrenching. I just was crying in my car because it was just so sad to hear the news.” Campus felt different on the day after Bonfire, Teafatiller said, and many Aggies needed time to grieve. “I remember going to one of my classes, and the professor was just clearly heartbroken as well,” Teafatiller said. “She just looked at us and said, ‘You know what? I don't really feel like being here today.’” Teafatiller said traditions are an integral part of A&M culture, and despite the tragedy, continued to stay strong together. “There's so many special traditions that make the school what it is,” Teafatiller said. “Even though it was heartbreaking, it didn’t break us.” To students currently on campus, Teafatiller said it’s important to remember the Aggie community in times of hardships. “Just really appreciate the people around you and what you have,” Teafatiller said. “All of that kind of fellowship that you have around you is just so special and valuable.” Autumn Hardin, Class of 2001, said she previously went out to cut and stack for Bonfire with her roommate, who was at Bonfire when it fell. “My roommate and I lived in Neely, and she was the crew chief for our dorm,” Hardin said. “When it fell, she wasn’t seriously injured.” Hardin said she was at her sorority house when she first heard about the Bonfire tragedy. “I remember having the news on and it was dark outside. It was really early in the morning and I was watching in disbelief,” Hardin said. Seeing the community come together afterwards to heal was important, and Hardin said a lot was done both on and off campus to honor the Aggies who passed. “Immediately afterwards, everyone created a memorial and people brought stuff for it,” Hardin said. “That year, when we were supposed to actually have Bonfire, we had memorial instead.” Dion McInnis, Class of 2003, is a member of the board of directors at Student Bonfire and said bonfire, to him, means learning vital skills through experience. “It doesn't mean sacrifice. It means learning what sacrifice is and what leadership is,” McInnis said. Some traditions of student bonfire include taping the freshmen’s legs, McInnis said, which is used to make sure the freshman is safe and has the best Bonfire experience. “Every bonfire is for the fish, so with those stripes, I can say, ‘You're somebody who I should send on a fun errand, so that you can go meet people,’” McInnis said. McInnis said the students are incredibly important for keeping traditions alive at A&M, and without them, the campus wouldn’t be where it is today. “The truth that has always existed at A&M is that it is the students who created everything that matters,” McInnis said. “Former students across generations are incredibly proud of what the Bonfire Aggies are doing today.”

December 2022 and May 2023 graduates prepare to walk Texas A&M’s campus one last time together. On Nov. 16 at 7 p.m., Class Councils hosted A&M’s 100th Elephant Walk. A long-standing, tradition on-campus, Elephant Walk started in 1923 during the Class of 1926’s freshmen year after the football team lost its first two games, according to Aggie Traditions. In order to break the team’s “losing curse,” the freshmen Corps of Cadets band members paraded around Kyle Field, led by a piccolo player and a brass horn to a funeral march. Three years later as seniors, the Class of 1926 took a last walk around campus together before graduation, walking one behind the other, like elephants. Since then, the event has been held annually before the last scheduled home football game. Graduating seniors join hands as they stroll through campus on a predetermined route, reminiscing on their time at A&M and listening to speakers at various campus locations. Chancellor John Sharp said, in an email to The Battalion, that as the Class of 2023 celebrates Elephant Walk’s 100th year, it’s important Aggies continue to foster the beloved tradition. “Any tradition that is celebrated for 100 years is worth celebrating for another 100 years,” Sharp said. “No one does tradition better than the Aggies.” Sharp said one should celebrate their life transitions, as seniors do in Elephant Walk. “It is important for all of us to reflect on significant moments in our lives, I can’t think of any time more transformative than when a group of ‘Fish’ become Aggies,” Sharp said. “We should celebrate that transition ... and our seniors joining fellow Former Students in service to their community, state, nation and alma mater.” University studies senior and Senior Class President Laryssa Villarreal said Elephant Walk is a time for seniors to reflect on what their class has gone through together in the last three and a half years and to look at what they can do together in their last semester on campus. “We are approaching graduation where some believe us to be irrelevant on campus now,” Villarreal said. “I believe that the Class of 2023 is going to have a great Elephant Walk as I believe we are a very close knit class.” Planning Elephant Walk has been an extensive process, Villarreal said, dating back to the early summer. Villarreal said the speakers for Elephant Walk are very carefully selected and Class Councils chose each Elephant Walk stop for a particular reason. “Our directors were selected in June and July so they’ve been working a pretty good amount of time so far,” Villarreal said. “What we’ve been doing is gathering speakers — I really wanted our class to be intentional with who we had speaking and where we were stopping. We built the route based on what [seniors] thought was important to our experience at Texas A&M.” Villarreal said she believes the Class of 2023 has greatly served Texas A&M during the last three and a half years, which is what will make this year’s Elephant Walk so special. As senior class president, she said she is eager to have a front row spot leading the walk. “[The Class of 2023] had probably one of the most unique experiences at any university, but specifically here,” Villarreal said. “Our four years have looked very different than they traditionally would. But at a university like this, the traditions never stopped and the service never stopped.” As senior class president, Villarreal said she is eager to have a front row seat leading the walk. Villarreal said Class Councils expect this year’s Elephant Walk to have a large number of attendees. “Our amazing team has been working so hard this year to make sure that this is a successful event,” Villarreal said. “This year is 100 years of this tradition, which not many classes get to say about any event here. This is also the first year where we are inviting graduating graduate students … The Class of 2023 wants to serve and reach as many Aggies as they can.” Industrial distribution senior Cole Murphy, executive chair of class councils and a Class of 2023 agent, said during Elephant Walk he is most looking forward to spending time with his classmates and has enjoyed seeing the senior class come back together after being separated during the heart of the pandemic. “Our time at A&M is different from anyone else’s, just because we were freshmen when COVID[-19] hit and so we lost our sophomore year,” Murphy said. “Those years where we were supposed to settle into our time in Aggieland got taken away from us … Now we’re able to come back and reflect on our time here A&M as a class.” Murphy said it’s jarring that the Class of 2023 is nearing graduation, as it feels like his time at A&M has just started. “It’s really hitting me now like, ‘Wait, our four years at A&M are almost over. Our time in Aggieland is coming to an end.’ We were freshmen four years ago, but it feels like it was yesterday,” Murphy said. Murphy said to the Class of 2023 — show up to the walk and bring your friends. “To my class — enjoy it while it lasts,” Murphy said. “Enjoy our remaining semester and make the most of it. Make it be everything we want it to be and let’s leave our mark.”

On Monday, Nov. 7, the Federalist Society, Christian Legal Society, or CLS, and St. Thomas More Society, or STMS, jointly hosted an event entitled “Religious Liberty: Where It Stands and Where It’s Going,” heralding widespread condemnation from the School of Law student body. The following day, 19 out of 34 student organizations signed onto a joint statement of solidarity condemning the event’s two speakers, Ryan Bangert, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Special Counsel to the President for the Alliance for Defending Freedom, or ADF, and Hiram Sasser, Executive General Counsel at First Liberty Institute. The two organizations promote anti-LGBTQ+ positions and policies, both domestically and internationally. “Hate has no place in our law school,” the joint statement said. “Platforming Christian nationalist anti-LGBTQ+ organizations goes beyond mere ‘differences in opinion.’” On Nov. 9, STMS followed suit with their own statement. They emphasized their “[deep] regret that [their] fellow students felt unsafe, hurt or hated. It was an oversight which did not reflect what [they stood] for.” The Federalist Society and CLS did not release statements of their own. CLS President Morgan Moya anticipated difficulties prior to the event, but held steadfast to her faith. “I’m sure some of you have heard whisperings … with peers upset regarding the upcoming panel,” Moya said in the CLS GroupMe. “I know our fight is not with people and that our King has won.” ADF is a designated hate group according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The nonprofit legal organization maintains a number of anti-LGBTQ+ views, including criminalizing sodomy abroad, the sterilization of trans people, equating homosexuality with pedophilia and generally promoting legislation and policy which would allow for targeted discrimination of queer people. Additionally, ADF was pivotal in overturning “Roe v. Wade.” The nonprofit helped draft Mississippi's Gestational Age Act, supported its defense during lower court litigation and served on the legal team at the Supreme Court level. First Liberty Institute, the largest nonprofit Christian legal organization, provides representation to those alleging religious discrimination. A recent press statement, for example, reveals they filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Michigan Health-West on behalf of a physician assistant who was fired after refusing to provide gender-affirming care to trans individuals. The Battalion reached out to all three student organizations at the center of controversy. STMS and CLS responded and declined to comment. The Federalist Society was unable to comment at time of publication. Students have been in conversation with the School of Law administration but, unlike student groups, they have not been quick to action. OUTLaw member Cecil Mattson, a 2L, criticized the administration’s delayed response. “It's taken multiple days and student organizations got it down,” Mattson said. “I don't know why it's taking the deans so long.” Students began to murmur late Sunday prior to the event, reaching a fever pitch upon its conclusion. Women Law Students Association President Anna Graves took charge of drafting the solidarity statement the following day. Other student organizations collaborated and quickly signed on. “Generally, there was a discussion amongst the [OUTLaw] members about the sentiments that were felt,” Mattson said. OUTLaw President Hunter Chapa first got wind of the speakers’ dubious affiliations the morning of the event, which just so happened to be their 27th birthday. “After my last class at three o'clock, I came home before my birthday dinner and spent my afternoon writing up the [OUTLaw] letter,” Chapa said. This religious liberty panel comes less than a month after the last controversial event, when the Federalist Society hosted Mississippi Solicitor General Scott G. Stewart, “The Man Who Argued Dobbs.” Stewart argued in favor of overturning “Roe v. Wade.” Students criticized the “Dobbs” event as a tactless “victory tour,” the Federalist Society website revealing A&M as just one among Stewart’s many stops. Rival organizations protested peacefully by holding rivalevents and attempting to table outside the event, much to the administration’s chagrin. “The administration didn’t allow us to table outside the Dobbs event, we had to be by the elevators,” Mattson said. “It wasn’t a very effective form of protest because we were so far away from [the event].” Derek Hudiburg, 2L and president of the American Constitutional Society, a counterweight to the Federalist Society, held one such protest event entitled “My Body, My Choice.” In lieu of attending the “The Man Who Argued Dobbs,” students held a discussion on reproductive rights. “I think that some people knew that it was going to get a reaction and that is what some people inside the Federalist Society wanted,” Hudiburg said. “I don't necessarily think that there that the dots were connected, that it would have this impact.” Hudiburg does not wish to assume ill-will on their behalf. He believes civil discourse would do much to assuage tensions within the law school community, if only the Federalist Society were conducive to it. “You can very easily have an idea and not have to put a face to that idea when you have a speaker that comes and talks about sterilization for trans individuals,” Hudiburg said. “To have an individual there that has gone through these issues forces everybody to realize that all of these decisions do affect somebody.” Chapa has previously attempted to collaborate with CLS. During the beginning of the semester, Chapa spoke to a CLS board member about hosting a faith-based conversation around LGBT inclusion. They were not on board. “They specifically denied me asking if they wanted to do a speaker event that included a pastor or someone that was from an inclusive LGBT church,” Chapa said. “They said that they were not comfortable doing that and swung the other way by inviting an anti-LGBT hate group.” On Thursday, Nov. 10, Dean Ahdieh and the Student Board Association held a town hall which became a forum regarding the week’s events. The discussion lasted two hours. Members of the conservative groups attended but did not speak. Federalist Society faculty advisor, Professor Penrose, released a statement of remorse. “Having spoken with the Federalist Society leadership I can unequivocally confirm that this event was never intended to cause harm or make anyone at the law school feel unsafe or unwelcome,” Penrose’s statement read. Chapa doubts the sincerity of the sentiment, however. Chapa said the student leadership’s silence speaks volumes. “I feel like if it were sincere, the Federalist Society themselves would have come out with a statement.” Chapa said. “The intention of these organizations may not have been to invite a hate group on campus, like Penrose said, but the impact of their choice is what matters,” Chapa said. “The responses from certain students at the school on online forums like GroupMe and Discord made it clear that the feelings, inclusion, and safety of queer students did not matter.” CLS officially declined to issue a statement on Saturday, Nov. 13. They maintain they meant only to “learn about and encourage dialogue about religious liberty–causing anger and resentment was never the goal.” Despite this acknowledgement, it does not address some students’ concerns with reference to a nebulous “common good.” “We ultimately believe that CLS acted out of faithfulness and that the event was part of our pursuit of the common good,” Moya said. “Feel free to reach out with any questions or prayer requests.”

For the Italian street food chain "Piada," excellent service goes beyond serving great pasta and supporting the local community. As part of Piada Gives, an initiative "committing to partnering with organizations aligned with the causes that matter most," Piada hopes to assist local food banks this fiscal quarter. Customers can directly support local food banks in College Station and Bryan during this holiday using the new "Round Up" feature. Marketing director Caitlin Deblo, said they are giving back to the community that has always been at the top of their wish lists to help eliminate food insecurity. “Piada Gives is a channel of impacting and serving our communities, supporting our guests and, most importantly, giving back. We focus on four main pillars, education, eliminating food insecurity, social equality and cancer research,” Deblo said. With Piada’s latest partnership with the RoundUp App, the platform allows donations towards supporting nonprofits effortlessly and essentially. According to their mission statement, the RoundUp App “is a donation and fundraising platform for nonprofits, eCommerce, and donors, making supporting nonprofits effortless and fun.” “When we launched Piada Gives, we allowed our guests through our loyalty program, Piada One, to sign up to be a Piada Gives member. This means every time they order from Piada, 1% of their purchase will go to that quarter’s charity partner,” Deblo said. “We are excited to add Round Up to Piada Gives this year and give our guests a chance to round up their purchase to the next dollar,” Deblo says that eliminating food insecurity and contributing to our communities' improved health and wellness is something Piada has always been passionate about. These local food banks have had great success with their proceeds. “Last year, we donated $45k to various organizations in our Piada communities, and already Round Up is proving it will be a huge layer and contributor to our charitable efforts and has raised over $1,700 since we launched it at the beginning of the month,” Deblo said. According to a 2022 KBTX article, “one out of seven households is at risk of hunger, and if a household includes children, that number goes to one out of five households.” “There can be a lot of shame in admitting when one is struggling and unless someone blatantly asks for help, we may have no idea if they struggle,” Deblo said. “But the facts, the numbers … they point to the fact that we all probably know somebody who has experienced food insecurity at one point,” Deblo says even college students are susceptible to hunger. Even with jobs and financial aid, many students who face hunger problems frequently turn to cheap foods with low nutritional value. This is usually evident by the piles of Chick-fil-a styrofoam cups, Whataburger wrappers and sugary Starbucks cups we often see piling in the back of cars. Piada is hoping to support local communities that may be facing hunger as an obstacle. With one bite at a time and by using the easy RoundUp App, we can help those who need it the most together as Aggies usually do. “I think it’s essential to spend your dollar at companies, not just Piada, who are focused on giving back to their communities to help against the fight of food insecurity and other initiatives that impact the people in our own backyards,” Deblo said. “We hope others are inspired to deliver acts of kindness in their own backyards this year and help our neighbors in need.