To dismantle the “myth of race” requires the power of words to make all people emotionally invested in the pursuit of equality. “We have awakened a sleeping giant called people of color,” said Jane Elliott during a keynote address at the 14th Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast at Texas A&M University. The need for individuals to speak out against racist division and violence is at a “fever pitch,” said the veteran advocate for equality. The conversation with Elliott was moderated by Michael Collins, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Texas A&M Department of English, and hosted virtually over Facebook and Instagram livestream by the MSC Carter G. Woodson Black Awareness Committee on Thursday. Commenters on the livestream were generally positive, although multiple times the public commentary included insults calling Elliott a “second-rate academic” and claims that white people are the real “victims” in modern society. Elliott has worked to change racist mentalities for 53 years, and is famous for her “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” experience. She first created the experience in the all-white 3rd-grade classroom where she was teaching the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Elliott said she divided the room hierarchically into children with blue eyes and those with brown eyes — into in-groups and out-groups — to demonstrate inequality in a way that got people’s attention. She has continued to use the model with adults to emphasize the importance of language and rhetoric on how race is conceptualized. “I intend to get them emotionally involved,” said Elliott, noting white people do not have to think about race and privileges in everyday life. Black people, she explained, know racism and discrimination firsthand through lived experience. In the early days of her teaching anti-racism in classrooms, she said she routinely experienced death threats and violence. “I’ve been socially distanced for 53 years,” joked Elliott. She described times she had to leave town because of death threats from white parents and teachers. Not deterred by the backlash, Elliott said people only listen to her because of the “whiteness” she benefits from. “Shooting her,” she noted, would only have made her a martyr. It was when the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. roused effective direct action toward equality that he was assassinated, Elliott explained. “They killed the man, not the dream,” said Elliott. Elliott said she has become more frightened recently seeing further division based on skin color and citizenship, especially under the former Trump administration and with the rise of white nationalist groups. “Don’t stop protesting,” said Elliott. “I’m not about peace, I’m about upheaval until we get a situation where we get what we are guaranteed under the constitution: equal treatment under the law.” The first step for young people to make a difference, said Elliott, is “becoming educated,” especially about discrimination, a process that involves “unlearning” what is taught in school and reading books about racism. Elliott described the “three R’s of American education – reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic” – as outdated. What is needed, she said, are “rights, respect and responsibility” to make progress as a nation. “Words are the most powerful weapon devised by humankind,” said Elliott, who cited the practice of Adolf Hitler when he divided people by eye color to determine who lived and who died. It became the basis for her “Brown Eyes/Blue Eyes” exercise. Growing up during World War II taught her firsthand the power language can wield, said Elliott. Elliott refuses to engage with the racial terms “Black” or “white” to describe people, a process she said reduces race to arbitrary physical details. Elliott argued that eurocentric and race-based worldviews must change, because people of color led civilization for millennia. Within a few decades, people of color are projected to be a majority in America, Elliott noted. It is one more reason to accelerate anti-racism education, Elliott said, which emphasizes the shared common humanity among all people. “We have one race, and that is the human race,” Elliott said.

Growing up with musical influences ranging from a touch of country radio to alternative, R&B and indie, members of the Trent Herrera Band, or THB, have found themselves thrown into the Texas country music scene that College Station has grown familiar with. After a dorm room jam session to George Strait’s “Amarillo by Morning,” drummer and mechanical engineering senior John Waterworth and the band’s frontman, biology senior Trent Herrera, both realized they wanted to act on their shared desire to play music. “No one in my family is musical,” Herrera said. “Like seriously, no one in the history of my family is. But I just loved it. I would play the guitar and sing in the choir in high school, but I was never in a band when I was younger, and I always wanted to be. Getting lucky enough to meet people like John and other musicians really just made me like, ‘You know what? Let’s just do it.’” That push to pursue what he loves was also thanks to friends and family who sat through choir performances and high school Singing Valentine deliveries, Herrera said. “I was writing little songs here and there on my guitar and the more confident I got, the more I was showing people, but I was just playing guitars in my bedroom. Nothing amazing,” Herrera said. “But so many people were like, ‘Man, you should really do something with this.’” Even with little exposure to Texas country music before arriving in Aggieland, Herrera said his love for the genre quickly emerged after witnessing Texas A&M’s music scene through venues like Hurricane Harry’s. “For me, I didn’t really grow up liking country so much, but over the years — playing baseball in high school and then going to Texas A&M — it was pretty much always there,” Herrera said. “I ended up just loving it. It is my favorite genre of music, but I definitely wouldn’t say that I grew up listening to it as much.” As for Waterworth, breaking the popular stigma of disliking country music propelled his desire to play in a country music band. “I never really liked country, but I don’t think I ever really gave it a chance until I got to college,” Waterworth said. “In high school I played in an indie band. I was someone that was like, ‘No, I don’t really like country music,’ I feel like [it] doesn’t get a lot of credit. But I started playing it and now I love it.” When it came time to buckle down and truly form a band, write songs and book studio time, Waterworth took the lead in making the band into a brand. “I’m always trying to think about where we want to be at the end of the semester,” Waterworth said. “The biggest thing I’ve learned since starting all of this is just to ask people. I think the more people you ask the higher chance you’re going to have at finding someone who is willing to help and is good at what you want.” Now with their two most recent singles “Gambler” and “Heart of Austin” released on all music streaming platforms, Herrera said his experiences with multiple music genres is what he hopes will influence the band’s next few releases. “I have a variety of musical background with growing up surrounded by multiple genres, not just one,” Herrera said. “So I want to try to incorporate that but still have that style of Texas country songwriting at its roots. I’m a lover of all things music, so we want to kind of incorporate as much as we can while still staying true to who we are and what we started with. That is what I would say the direction is for the new songs and the new album. We want to put out something fresh and unique so that people can remember the band.” Although the hardest part has been getting THB off of the ground and maintaining momentum within one of Texas’ biggest country music scenes, Waterworth said their enthusiastic goals for the future are just getting started. “That first goal we had was to just form a band and then release a song,” Waterworth said. “I know one of our goals for the end of this semester — it’s kind of ambitious — but we want to have at least four new songs recorded and put them on some kind of E.P. But then we have to think about what songs we want to use, how much the studio time is, what days we can go in and so on. So we’ve just started with our big goal, and then we backtrack.” With their time at A&M coming to an end and with the start of something special on the horizon, the pair have their sights set on a bright future for THB. “This is just the beginning I think,” Herrera said. “We’re on the rise I’d say. We’ve got a long way to go.”

Texas A&M’s freshman class president, Ben Fisher, strives to unite his class and make every Aggie feel like they belong. Business freshman and freshman class president Ben Fisher said the Andrew Carnegie quote, “Here lies one who knew how to get around him men who were cleverer than himself,” defines his leadership in Student Government. A College Station native, Fisher said he always loved A&M for its traditions and school spirit but never planned on running for class president. Despite this fact, he was elected this past October. “I initially did not want to run,” Fisher said. “I wanted to help a friend run, but the two friends that I thought would be phenomenal candidates ended up declining. The Lord ended up opening some crazy doors for me, and I was presented with the opportunity to run myself.” Fisher said he is honored to serve A&M because of its unique capacity to produce outstanding leaders. He credits his campaign team for his success and said he formed many close friendships throughout the campaigning process. “I like the fact that this is a campus that develops leaders at every level,” Fisher said. “It’s really cool to see a place that creates people who are going to make an impact, not just regular students. I feel like any college can do that, but we’re punching out leaders and influencers — people who actually want to make a difference.” In addition to being a full-time student, Fisher said his hours are often taken up by the duties that come with the position of class president. “The class president is responsible for representing their class to all campus organizations and to the Texas A&M administration,” Fisher said. “We manage all class traditions and assist with class traditions for other classes. Lastly, we’re responsible for identifying needs not met by other organizations and using our respective class councils to step up and answer those calls for action.” With COVID-19 causing separation among students and decreasing campus involvement, Fisher said he wants to focus his attention on helping students make connections. “My primary goal is to help my classmates identify how we can best belong at Texas A&M and use our time here to not only grow as individuals, but to pour into one another and the school we’re honored to attend,” Fisher said. “I want it to mean something to be an Aggie for the Class of 2024.” Fisher said anyone who has a passion for serving the student body should consider pursuing student government. “We always need more high-quality people to step up and serve,” Fisher said. “It’s a great way to invest in the place that has invested so much in you. To anyone who has an interest in student government, seriously consider it.”

While last semester was an adjustment for all Aggies, this spring seems to be a step toward a return to college student’s typical, campus-centered life. Many classes will still take place virtually, but increased testing options for students and staff and the release of the COVID-19 vaccine offer hope for a better 2021. Despite having a successful semester in the fall, nutrition senior Emily Stokes said she had difficulty finding motivation to keep up with school as well as the change in her social life. “It was harder for me to stay motivated when I didn’t have the same accountability being in a classroom and having people around me,” Stokes said. “It was kind of weird [because] that was the first semester of school I’ve done entirely online.” Despite these challenges, Stokes said she is looking forward to her final stint at Texas A&M and plans to approach this spring positively. “My goal is to soak in every bit of college that I can get because it’s my last semester,” Stokes said. “I know it’s going to be a little tricky because it’s not going to be the regular semesters that I’ve been used to. I’m just trying to enjoy everything and get out with a degree.” Though Stokes will be graduating in May, she said she hopes future semesters will be closer to the true college experience, especially for her younger peers. “I’m really hoping this is the last semester we have to deal with COVID[-19],” Stokes said. “It really stinks that the freshmen haven’t gotten the whole college experience yet, and I really wish that they could have that.” On the other hand, food science technology junior Caleb Glenney, a member of the Corps of Cadets, had a very positive experience in fall 2020. “Last semester was a great one, my first as a junior. As far as Corps stuff goes, it’s an exciting transition,” Glenney said. “It’s cool because in the Corps, we have underclassmen that we get to be a mentor for, to teach them how to be good in the Corps but also in life.” Glenney said he found this past fall to be an opportunity to connect with others, but he also had to make adjustments to his routine. “I’m sure this was a challenge for everyone, all the COVID-19 stuff, but especially in the Corps,” Glenney said. “We’re used to the same routine, and the interactions were impacted a lot this year. It was something we were able to work through, but it was a big challenge at first.” Using the momentum from a productive fall semester, Glenney said he hopes to achieve even more this spring, both in and out of the Corps. “One of my big goals this semester is to have the opportunity to take each freshmen out to lunch and sit down to have a conversation with them,” Glenney said. “Getting to know them more personally … so they can have an upperclassmen that’s a friend to them.” Political science senior Robert O’Brien said he is hoping this semester will bring back a sense of normalcy. “I think it’ll go fine and probably be just really boringly mundane, but I think everyone wants to go back to boring and mundane,” O’Brien said. “I don’t think it’s going to make up for an entire year; however, I think returning to campus is a way to get some closure.” Stokes said social interactions and creating bonds with others is essential for getting through college hardships. “Your first day of class, if you’re in-person and it’s possible, try to make friends anywhere you can,” Stokes said. “You will have stressful periods, but it’s a thousand times more bearable when you’ve got people right next to you suffering through the same thing.” Glenney said that his time at A&M has pushed him to grow in many fronts of his life and become better at seizing opportunities. “What people sometimes don’t see is that college is a really cool opportunity to grow as a person,” Glenney said. “For people who don’t want to come to college or think it might be better to stay at home, I would encourage them to step out and take the opportunity because I think you’ll learn a lot and grow a lot in a way that you never thought you could.”

As MLK Day approaches, Aggies honor Martin Luther King Jr. and share how his actions have paved the way for their successes. The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of January, which lies on Jan. 18 this year. King is well known for being an influential civil rights leader who protested against segregation and discrimination. He advocated for racial equality and changed the lives of many people of color. Black Student Alliance Council President Corniyah Bradley said this holiday is especially important because it raises awareness about the accomplishments and successes of King and encourages others to learn more about him. “During such a difficult time in American history, he provided a sense of hope for Black people when we did not have any,” Bradley said. “He continues to give me passion in everything I do and empowers me to speak up and invoke change around me every day.” Bradley said remembering King’s legacy is not a one-day event for her, and instead she celebrates him in her daily actions. “I celebrate him every time I accomplish something in my life that was once seen as impossible or I was prevented from accomplishing specifically due to the color of my skin,” Bradley said. Kinesiology sophomore Daija Green said without MLK and other activists, the civil rights movement wouldn’t have significantly changed society the way it did. “This day gives everyone a time to reflect on how far we’ve come,” Green said. “MLK has impacted me personally because without the civil rights movement, [chances are] minorities like myself wouldn’t have been able to attend Texas A&M.” Jori Dale, Class of 2020, said she admires King because he fostered an idea of peace, regardless of race. “This man wanted people to genuinely grow to be better people so that our future would not see the inhumanity in the world they were currently living in,” Dale said. “I think this day is so important and very overlooked because it highlights why so many people died, especially Black people, for the basic human rights that we have today that are sadly still tentative. Regarding how everyone should approach the holiday, Dale said white people should strive to be allies year-round. “I think non-people of color can do better and be better allies by simply teaching children to accept and love, regardless of what people look like, and to stop the prejudice,” Dale said. “Children are our future, and prejudice culture is learned. America has a racist culture and history, and we have to grow beyond that. MLK inspires that.”

Despite 2020 being a difficult year for many, Downtown Bryan is still bringing holiday cheer to the community. Destination Bryan will host the Downtown Bryan Lighted Holiday Stroll from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Downtown Bryan on Friday, Dec. 11. This is an adapted event happening in place of the Downtown Lighted Christmas Parade put on every December. The Stroll features street closure areas placed throughout downtown so visitors can walk around and view stationary parade floats, Christmas lights and holiday decorations and window displays created by downtown businesses. Abigail Noel, public relations and communications manager for Destination Bryan, said Downtown Bryan has instilled a variety of safety protocols to ensure maximum safety at the Stroll. “We ask that people wear masks throughout the event and for everyone [to] be respectful of each other’s space,” Noel said. “We’re still trying to provide a safe, fun outdoor event so that people can enjoy a holiday event and get in the holiday spirit. The event being outside is a huge benefit because everyone will have plenty of room to space out. We will also have sanitization stations spread throughout the event and within the street closure areas where the parade floats will be parked.” Downtown Bryan is moving forward with approved holiday activities to bring the community together in an equivocal time, Noel said. “We're really excited to still have some holiday events,” Noel said. “All of the events in Downtown Bryan are getting approved by the health department and the mayor’s office, so we’ve gotten approval for our COVID-19 protocols and we’re able to move forward. It’s very safe for the community to be involved, as well as the float attendees and staff.” In addition to the holiday floats and window displays, Destination Bryan is partnering with Bryan Broadcasting Radio Company to put on a holiday radio program for the event. “The program will play on [KNDE] Radio station throughout the event,” Noel said. “It will broadcast holiday music, Christmas music and some special messages from Santa. People can listen to it while they’re strolling, and we’re highly encouraging our downtown businesses to play that station during that event as well.” Noel said The Lighted Holiday Stroll has received a lot of positive feedback on social media, and many floats that typically partake in the traditional Christmas parade have already signed up for the Stroll. “The community really likes the downtown parade because it's at night, all the floats are decorated in lights and it feels very holiday themed,” Noel said. “All the Christmas lights and the big Christmas tree is up downtown, and all the buildings are beautifully lit. We’re excited to still bring that festive theme and energy [this year] even if things look a little bit different.” According to the Downtown Bryan website, there will also be a showing of The Palace Theater’s 2019 recording of “The Nutcracker” at 6 p.m., including preeminent dancers from the New York City ballet. Katelyn Brown, the community engagement manager at Destination Bryan tourism, said though the event is a twist on the traditional parade, it is still a great opportunity to come downtown. “We’ve got some really fun groups participating [in the parade],” Brown said. “I think it’s going to be a great time. As an outdoor event there’s plenty of opportunities to socially distance and still get to enjoy the holiday season in downtown.”

For the fifth year in a row, Texas A&M continues to lead as the top public institution for sending students abroad. During the 2018-2019 academic year, A&M was reported to have 3,768 students take part in study abroad programs pursuing academic credit. While those studying abroad have been forced to adjust since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aggies are still appreciative for their past and present experiences around the globe with A&M. Education Abroad Regional Director for Africa Jack Elliot, Ph.D., has supervised study abroad trips across Europe and now directs the Namibia study abroad program. Elliot said he believes A&M earned this title due to the supportive staff who promote study abroad opportunities. “We have a faculty that understands the value of the global experience for students,” Elliot said. “We have found that employers have a high desire to hire people that have that global, broad, culture awareness, and so we play off of that as well.” Brooke Wooley, Class of 2019, traveled to Spain in the summer of 2019 and said her own study abroad advisors were influential throughout her application process and trip. “My advisors were amazing in planning my roadmap for my trip and overall gave me constant support throughout the whole process,” Wooley said. “It made travelling abroad seamless and organized.” Elliot said he thinks the spirit of A&M is a unique factor of the school’s study abroad experience. “If you think about the Aggie Spirit, sometimes that sets us apart because we always take an Aggie flag, and almost every study abroad trip that I see has an Aggie flag and they take pictures around the planet,” Elliot said. Since Wooley’s study abroad trip, she found she grew more self-reliant and prepared for life after college. “Studying abroad affected my life after college because it gave me a different sense of independence,” Wooley said. “If it hadn’t been for my trip to Spain, I would’ve had less confidence in making the move to Austin after I graduated.” Wooley said what made her study abroad experience special was the people she met in Spain alongside her fellow classmates and teachers. “The family I lived with were the sweetest, most welcoming people I could’ve asked for,” Wooley said. “The classmates I met during the trip I still keep in contact with to this day, and the teachers were just amazing too.” Reflecting on the Namibia study abroad program Elliot led back in March near the start of COVID-19, he said though travel was restricted, there are more opportunities for students to study abroad virtually and still remain engaged. “In reality, I didn’t think it would be as effective, but it was absolutely one of the best educational experiences I ever had as an instructor,” Elliot said. “It blows me away what we could do.” Wooley said she encourages Aggies to take the leap of faith and study abroad, even if it might seem impossible in some situations. “It might seem far fetched or unreasonable given certain circumstances to study abroad, but A&M has so many resources you can utilize to make it happen,” Wooley said. “There’s only a small window of time where you can study abroad, so take the chance while you can and soak up every moment.”

From Sunday, Dec. 6 through Wednesday, Dec. 9, performances of “But Where There’s Hope, There’s Life” will be in downtown Bryan, with a variety of performance times. This event is structured as a tour, beginning at the Grand Stafford theater, where audiences will travel to see portions of the Holocaust story. According to Bergeron, the hope is that this work can be brought to Rudder Auditorium during spring semester. Fifteen years ago, choreographers Christine Bergeron and Carisa Armstrong had the idea to tell the story of the Holocaust through dance. At the time, there were barriers, particularly because the two cared about the story being told in the right manner and for the right reasons. Bergeron is the director of dance in the Health and Kinesiology Department. She and Armstrong decided to form a committee, made of historians, artists and community members, in order to tell this story in the best manner possible. “We had to take the plunge and conquer our fears,” Bergeron said. “With the understanding that we can’t always represent everyone, we can make sure we have voices in the committee who could help us.” This project is not one continuous story, but rather group and solo performances, all highlighting different perspectives of those affected by the Holocaust. Because of its complex nature, this project has been in the Dance Science program for about three years. Bergeron said she feels dance is the best medium to share this story, as it allows audiences to take away unique interpretations and show the influence of relationships. “We feel like dance allows us to show the relationship between people and it allows us to show a variety of emotions,” Bergeron said. “I think that’s what we wanted to do, to be able to show compassion and empathy, but also be able to show fear and the idea of being cautious.” This dance project has reached beyond the kinesiology program, allowing members of the Visualization Department and a cinematographer to capture the project on film. Audiences will still experience the entire performance, with solos live, and group numbers on video. Ella Cox, a dance science junior who is featured in the project, said the original performances were scheduled for after spring break, but because of COVID-19, the program had to be reworked for the fall. “The first two weeks [of the semester] we knocked out all the filming. We got to film in Rudder Auditorium and we filmed all of the sections we have,” Cox said. “They decided to have the week [of performances] in November and December where soloists would perform and everything else would be in film.” This film aspect unexpectedly was helpful for the creator’s vision of getting this performance into middle and high school classrooms, alongside a lesson plan. “It’s easy now for me, on this end, to say why didn’t anyone stop Hitler early? But that’s easy to say in retrospect,” said Bergeron. “We need to be reminded about stepping up for other people, whether they’re your people or not. This is our way of saying this as artists.” The conversations this performance creates around the Holocaust may be difficult for audience members, but dance science senior Emily Bowlin said it is important to remember this part of history. “There is a ton of emotion in this show,” Bowlin said. “But with that being said, it’s very important for everyone to be able to have it re-iterated to them, to be made aware that this happened, it’s something that could happen again very easily.” Bowlin said the progression of the Holocaust is not as distant as people make it out to be. “We talk about it now like ‘Oh that would never happen. Would it happen again?’” Bowlin said. “I think it's important subject matter, not only for the people who lost their lives and the justice for them, but also for the future and the present of oppression that’s very apparent today even.” Additionally, Cox said that the attitudes towards oppressed people in the Holocaust live on today in a different form. “The fact that dehumanization of populations is still a thing shows you how history repeats itself, without a doubt,” Cox said. “There’s humans in our country that still don’t have all the freedoms they deserve.” Tickets and further information can be found on the “But Where There’s Hope, There’s Life website, with proceeds supporting Aggies across multiple academic departments, as well as local businesses.

Finals are nearly over and fall 2020 graduation is just around the corner. For anyone looking for some excitement over the winter break in Aggieland, Bryan-College Station has many activities to offer. 1. Check out a Hallmark movie set Yet another Hallmark Christmas movie will be filmed in assorted locations in Bryan-College Station following the movie “Rekindling Christmas”. This new movie is titled “No More Goodbyes” and will film at the Brazos County Courthouse, Grand Station and the Dairy Queen on Texas Avenue. 2. Visit Santa's Wonderland This wintertime attraction is a popular destination for families and students alike. Dubbed “The Largest Outdoor Christmas Celebration in the South,” Santa’s Wonderland offers carriage rides, visits with Santa and a variety of Christmas light displays to create a holiday atmosphere. 3. Check out Northgate An ever-popular student location, Northgate is full of bars, small businesses and restaurants to provide a variety of entertainment for those in College Station over the holidays. Popular establishments include O’Bannon’s Taphouse, Hurricane Harry’s Dance Hall, Antonio’s Pizza and the famous Dixie Chicken. Over the break, these places shouldn’t be too packed, so social distance and wear your masks! 4. Visit historic Downtown Bryan With the holiday season upon Bryan-College Station, Downtown Bryan with its historic small businesses and iconic locations such as the Queen Theatre are lit up and decorated for winter. Destination Bryan is also hosting a Lighted Holiday Stroll on Friday, Dec. 11 from 6 to 7 p.m. where visitors can walk among holiday parade floats parked on the streets of Downtown Bryan. 5. Get ahead on your holiday shopping The holiday season is drawing near and with shipping times still varying, now is the time to go out with friends and find those perfect items to give to loved ones. Small businesses around Bryan-College Station, still struggling from the effects of COVID-19, are open and ready to sell gifts and food for the holidays.

After reflecting on a fall semester of online learning, football and a presidential election, students are looking to spring 2021 for a more conventional college experience. Next March will mark one year since Texas A&M canceled in-person classes to institute safety and social distancing protocols due to concerns over the growing coronavirus pandemic. After two semesters of adapted online learning methods and campus distancing regulations, students hope for familiarity in the new semester. In a campus update sent to students, Provost Carol Fierke said accommodations are being made for next spring. Though aspects of the semester remain ambiguous, some changes were announced, including the incorporation of some exclusively face-to-face courses without remote options. “Planning is underway for spring,” Fierke said. “Course instruction will be similar, although we are adding a handful of face-to-face courses without remote delivery for classes that are electives or also offered remotely in a separate course section. The spring calendar is likely to change and include a shortened spring break.” With accumulated skills and experience from the last year online, students are looking to have a less stressful spring semester. Psychology senior Sheridan Steen said though it is bittersweet, she hopes to experience as much as possible during her last semester in college. “I graduate in May, so I am hoping to make the most out of the next couple of months and to spend as much time with my friends as possible,” Steen said. “I am also excited for Elephant Walk, Ring Dance and some of the traditions that I’ll get to experience the last time as a student.” Steen said she is looking forward to online learning again due to the freedom it gives, and said it encourages her to balance her life and classes. “I am also kind of excited to be partially online again because it’s giving me a lot more free time to study [and] do homework, as well as to spend time with my roommates and other friends,” Steen said. “I also definitely learned how to work on my time management skills and organizational skills this semester with everything online, because my classes didn’t have mandatory attendance. I learned how to stay on top of watching my lectures and ensuring that all my assignments got [turned] in.” Engineering freshman Renee Oswalt said though online learning reduces social interaction with other students, having another semester of remote classes will feel routine in a time of perpetual ambiguity. “I am excited that the second semester is taking a similar structure to the first, just because it gives us a sense of normalcy, because now we know how to do online learning since we’ve done it once before,” Oswalt said. “Of course I’d want to have classes in person, if it was safe. I want to build relationships with other students and teachers and TAs. But, we do have to stay safe and keep our at-risk population safe.” Many are looking toward the developing vaccine to help people feel safer in day-to-day life, allowing for a slow return to normalcy. “We’re not immune to the virus as young people and we’re definitely not immune to its effects. Taking precautions for us is important because we’re vulnerable portions of the population, so I get that we’re still online,” Oswalt said. “Second semester, as the vaccine rolls out and CDC, governmental and local guidance shifts a bit I think we’ll feel more comfortable going out and being around people and friends and hopefully in-person class.” Despite COVID-19, Oswalt said freshmen like herself are looking to become accustomed to college life during their second semester at A&M. “I am excited for the vaccine. I am excited for a sense of normalcy. And I am excited to have finally found my stride at A&M,” Oswalt said. “I think second semester as a freshman is always a bit easier because you’ve figured out how to live life in college. With COVID-19 I think it’s definitely hard but at least there will be some normalcy.”