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TAMU-UT double-header: The Lone Star Showdown

Opinion: Latin‘x’ isn’t an inclusive term

HOCKEY ON PAGE 7

LATINX ON PAGE 6

Aggie spirit burns brightly

Applicants anxiously await answers By Caroline Wilburn @carolinewilb

Samuel Falade— THE BATTALION

Aggies park their cars and gather at the Student Bonfire site off of Old Hearne Road on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023.

After two month delay, Student Bonfire 2022 burns By Michaela Rush @Michaela4Batt During a cold January night, thousands of people gathered around a four-story-high stack, standing in the mud, waiting to see it set ablaze. As a grand finale to months of hard work, Aggies set out to “Burn the Hell Outta” Student Bonfire on Saturday, Jan. 21. The tradition of Bonfire at Texas A&M began in 1907, first as a celebration after the Aggies beat Tulane in a football game. Since then, the gathering has undergone a variety of

changes, developing a signature tiered shape, growing in size and changing locations various times. The most notable change for Bonfire was the transition from being an on-campus, university-sponsored event, to an off-campus unofficial event following the Bonfire Collapse of 1999. Typically, Burn is hosted in preparation for the Thanksgiving week game against LSU, but due to unsafe weather, Burn was rescheduled for January to prepare the site for a safe event. Presently, the organization is in the process of finding a new home for stack, following the sale of the current plot to land developers, which was announced Aug. 4, 2022. Despite changing conditions, the spirit of Student Bonfire has remained strong off-cam-

pus since 2002, as students spend an entire year cutting, loading, stacking and, finally, burning Bonfire. On Burn night, the typically empty field surrounding the stack is filled as a circle of cars, food trucks and music grows over the course of the day and into night. On Saturday, hundreds of Aggies of all ages gathered to celebrate Burn, hosting barbecues, playing music and enjoying the cool weather. For members like engineering sophomore Callie Baker, a 2022 Neeley Hall crew chief, Burn is a time for celebration and reflection. “It really is a culmination of the whole season,” Baker said. “We put hours and hours of work into this, and it’s cathartic to see it go up in flames.” BONFIRE ON PG. 4

Almost 9,000 admissions files wait to be reviewed by the Office of Admissions, as many applicants anxiously anticipate a decision. Texas A&M recieved a total of 59,647 applications for fall 2023, and there are 50,255 complete admissions files, according to the Office of Admissions. Director of Freshman Admissions Brandie Eneks, Class of 1993, said the university expects to have all decisions released by midMarch. It’s important for students to stay patient as they await a decision, Eneks said in an email to The Battalion. “Our holistic review of applicants is thorough and takes time,” Eneks said. “We are working very hard and as quickly as possible to finalize admission decisions. There is nothing they need to do other than continue to monitor their admission status in the Applicant Information System.” Once an applicant is admitted to A&M, Eneks said they should accept their offer and register for a New Student Conference, or NSC, as dates fill up quickly. However, if a student is extended an offer other than full admission, Eneks said she recommends they research the offer, read the material provided in the admission packet and contact an admissions counselor with additional questions. “Students who are denied admission may also consider speaking with an admission counselor about future opportunities to become an Aggie,” Eneks said. “If [A&M] is ultimately where they want to be, there is a way to get here.” Brazos Valley Admissions Advisor Irving Valdez said students should apply earlier rather than later. “I’d recommend for students to take their time and review and double-check that everything is correct before hitting submit,” Valdez said. “It’s not a race, you shouldn’t feel hurried, but [students] ADMISSIONS ON PG. 3

Tattoo gurus descend on Aggieland Sixth annual competition to host famous tattoo artists By John Chapa @JDChapaBatt

FILE

A customer receives her estrogen shaped tattoo from an artist at the Crooked Crows Tattoo Booth during the Tattoo Expo.

This weekend, over 100 tattoo artists will attend Bryan-College Station’s annual Tattoo Expo by Ink Masters Tattoo Show. The show, hosted from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, has garnered worldwide recognition for providing tattoo artists the opportunity to display their artistry and compete for awards. Ink Masters will be host the week-

end-long event at the Brazos County Expo for its sixth consecutive year. The show has catered the event to audiences across military towns, college towns and cities near oil fields, with artists from across the country attending, Raymond Hernandez, owner and founder of Ink Masters Tattoo Show, said. “All the [tattoo] artists attending are by invite only,” Hernandez said. “Each artist has to submit a portfolio of their work to [Ink Masters]. If they got approved then they get to attend and live tattoo. We have artists coming from New York, Miami and Hawaii to compete.” The expo will feature various award competitions for categories such as best

cover-up, best color, best black-andgray, best of day, best of show and more. The entirety of the event will consist of tattoo artists live-tattooing attendees for the chance to win an award for being the best-of-the-best in their respective categories, Hernandez said. “This year[‘s event] is different from past years because we are recognizing only the best-of-the-best,” Hernandez said. “For example, say one artist enters the black-and-gray category. Out of 20 other artists competing, only one will win for that category.” The expo formerly offered first, second and third prizes in each category. INKMASTERS ON PG. 3

Kappa Sigma gives back A&M fraternity raises scholarship funds for K-12 By John Chapa @JDChapaBatt The Texas A&M chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity has partnered with College Hills Baptist Church to tutor kids from kindergarten through 12th grade. Entering its second semester with the church, the fraternity has raised $6,000 for the College Hills Scholarship Fund. 99tutors.com CEO Detrick Eaton said he reached out to Kappa Sigma about the opportunity to give back to the community in a unique way. “This is a different kind of philanthropy

that the brothers are serving,” Eaton said. “With philanthropies like Big Event, groups serve one day out of the year. These young men are making a commitment to show up once a week, every week, to help these kids succeed academically. I reached out to Craig [Staples] and he was thrilled to accept.” Kappa Sigma members tutor the students in the church’s parish hall on Thursdays for an hour from 6-7 p.m. Kappa Sigma President and finance senior Craig Staples said he was delighted to accept the philanthropy opportunity. “When Detrick [Eaton] reached out to me about the opportunity, I knew it would be something Kappa Sig[ma] could continue year after year,” Staples said. “It’s great getting to leave an impact on these kids and form conSCHOLARSHIP ON PG. 3

John Chapa — THE BATTALION

Kappa Sigma presented a $6,000 check to College Hills Baptist Church’s Scholarship Fund on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022.

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