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Opinion desk highlights worst tweets of 2022

Joni Taylor needs time to find success at A&M

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Time is up for TikTok on campus

Popular social media platform to be banned on all devices connected to campus Wi-Fi By Ana Renfroe @aeonia1

In response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent order to take action against TikTok, Texas A&M will comply by blocking access to the app on its campus Wi-Fi networks, in addition to all university-owned devices. According to a press release from Dec. 7, Abbott ordered a ban to end the use of TikTok on state or government issued devices as “the threat of the Chinese Communist Party

gaining access to critical U.S. information and infrastructure continues to grow.” Effective Jan. 18, A&M Division of Information Technology announced via email it will block access to TikTok from all devices connected to a university network. Users at main campus and branch or remote campuses will no longer be able to use the app on any device while connected to A&M wired or Wi-Fi networks. “The protection and security of our enterprise assets, information and intellectual property is always a top priority,” the email read. “As we receive additional guidance as part of the governor’s directive, we will update our response plan and communicate any resulting changes.” As of press time, users connected to the network on personal devices were still able to

access TikTok. On Dec. 19, university employees were instructed to not download the TikTok app on university-owned devices. If the app was previously downloaded, they were instructed to remove and stop using the app. Additionally, employees were instructed to stop creating online posts to TikTok on any official university accounts and remove any external links to TikTok from any university websites. According to a Jan. 17 statement reported by KBTX, A&M has begun blocking access to TikTok and plans to instate further network filtering to block access to the app on campus. The new compliance measures will restrict students, employees and visitors from accessing TikTok on personal devices while connected to university-owned Wi-Fi networks. “Based on both state and federal orders and

concerns, Texas A&M has blocked access to TikTok from state-owned devices,” A&M said, according to KBTX. “Additionally, as instructed by the Governor, we are in the process of putting in place network-based filtering that will block both wireless and wired access to downloading or accessing the app from our campus network, which means students, faculty, staff and visitors will not be able to use the app when connected to an A&M network.” In a letter from Abbott addressing state legislative leadership about cybersecurity fears, Abbott cited the State of Texas’ responsibility to preserve online safety for Texans. “While TikTok has claimed that it stores U.S. data within the U.S., the company admitted in a letter to Congress that China-based employees can have access to U.S. data,” Abbott wrote. “It has also been reported that ByteDance planned to use TikTok location information to surveil individual American citizens.”

Fish Camp relocation intiative announced After over 60 years at Lakeview, freshman tradition begins search for a new home By Kenzie Finch @Kenziefinch6 Texas A&M announced Tuesday that Fish Camp is looking for a new location. On Jan. 17, Vice President for Student Affairs Joe Ramirez announced via email that the university will be looking for alternate Fish Camp locations. Currently, Fish Camp is hosted at Lakeview United Methodist Conference Center, a privately owned facility over 90 miles away from A&M’s main campus. The Office of Risk, Ethics and Compliance, or OREC, conducted a survey to evaluate risk to students and is now working with the Division of Student Affairs to look for locations closer to main campus with an emphasis on risk management, transportation, safety, according to the email. “This is a distinct opportunity to identify a location that supports the unique experiences offered at Fish Camp while also placing increased emphasis on risk management, safety and accessibility for all who participate in Fish Camp,” the email read. Fish Camp is known as an Aggie’s first tradition, and has been held at Lakeview for over 60 years, dating back to 1957, according to A&M. “The Lakeview Staff have become a huge part of the Aggie experience,” the website reads. Students will play a role in evaluating alternate locations for Fish Camp, and until a new location is selected, Fish Camp will continue to be held at Lakeview, according to the email. As of publication, The Battalion is awaiting a response from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.

Ishika Samant — THE BATTALION

Junior F Andersson Garcia (11) celebrates after the time runs down to zero during a game vs. Florida at Reed Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2023.

Aggies secured their first 5-0 start in conference play since the 2015-16 season, 54-52 By Grant Gaspard @grant_gaspard 12,126 fans filed into the seats at Reed Arena on Wednesday night to witness a landmark event for Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams and his Fightin’ Texas Aggies.

For the first time since the 2015-16 campaign, Williams coached the Aggies to their first 5-0 start to conference play and continue their seven-game win streak. On Jan. 18, the A&M basketball program played its first mirror game of the season against a Florida team they defeated by 3 on the road in Gainesville, Fla. on Jan. 4. This time, the final result ending a little closer than the last. As the season progressed, Williams continued to lean more toward his transfers to lead the maroon and white pack rather than the returners. With a chance to start 5-0 for

the first time since his arrival, he continued to trust the two transfers who have grown tremendously since the Myrtle Beach Invitational. Junior forward Julius Marble said Williams sat down with every player 1-on-1 to discuss with them how they were performing so far into the season. “He was honest with me, and I needed that,” Marble said. In their last four games, two transfers have dominated both sides of the ball and have continued to add tremendous help to the maroon and white roster. Graduate guard DexBASKETBALL ON PG. 5

Kickstart to careers Aggies travel to FIFA World Cup, gain professional experience By Emma Lawson @ELawsonAtTheBat

Courtesy of Paulina Adam

At the end of 2022, Aggies had the opportunity to travel to Qatar for a guest services and event management class credit — Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Sciences 489 and 689 — on a travel abroad program to the worldwide event of the Federal Internationale de Football, or FIFA, World Cup. With most of the shifts occurring between late afternoon until past midnight, Aggies had the opportunity to travel around Qatar, visit the A&M campus and tour the small country in fascinating escapades.

Education junior Courtney Smith said the students’ responsibilities at the World Cup included working with guests and helping the staff. “We typically do guest services, like welcoming people, greeting people, directing them to the bathroom [and] answering questions — stuff like that,” Smith said. To embody the Aggie Spirit, Smith said they gave tour guides, and those who helped with the trip, small gifts to remember them by. “Our professor had packed little 12th Man statues before we left,” Smith said. “Anytime we had a tour, we got to give [the statues] to them as gifts and explain what the 12th Man represents here in Texas.” Before their shifts, the students got to embrace the culture of Qatar and get involved in local adventures, Smith said.

“I got to ride a camel,” Smith said. “I also did attend the games while we were there, and I don’t know if I’ll ever attend another World Cup game. Definitely another once in a lifetime experience.” Sport management senior Hannah Ager said she enjoyed experiencing the culture, especially because of her personal connection with it. “I actually have some aunts that are Muslim, so I see the culture a lot, but I haven’t been a part of it myself,” Ager said. “I got to actually be in a mosque and put on the head wrap [in Qatar].” Working with guests allowed students to talk to a diverse group and expand their worldview, Ager said. “The shifts were like eight hours, but we got to meet people from all FIFA ON PG. 7

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