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The Battalion

The Student News Site of Texas A&M University - College Station

The Battalion

The Student News Site of Texas A&M University - College Station

The Battalion

Features

Owner of Vortex, Victor Lucio, sits for a portrait in the corner of his store on 2609 S. College Avenue. (Ishika Samant/The Battalion)

ESSENCE: A community creative escape

Sameeksha Sharma, Life & Arts Writer February 12, 2024

Art may not be the product of sudden bursts of creativity as it is often treated to be. It is tempting to defer producing art “til you’re struck by a large enough incentive or inspiration.” However,...

Aggie siblings work with A&M coffee center to fulfill father’s dream (Anna Deardorff/The Battalion)

Upholding family traditions

Anna Deardorff, Special Sections Editor February 5, 2024

When Irene, Miguel and Francisco Fernandez were growing up in Honduras, they had no idea they would carry on the legacy of their father, Don Miguel, by producing and roasting their family farm’s coffee...

(Left to right) Owners of Hyperbole Bookstore, Kathy and Kalena Miller, pose in the Adult Fiction section of their bookstore on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024.

Hyperbole Bookstore: Every book-lover’s dream

Diya Regi-Thomas, Life & Arts Writer February 4, 2024

Kathy and Kalena Miller, a mother-daughter duo of bookworms, brought to fruition every reader’s dream when they opened the doors of Hyperbole Bookstore, the only independent bookstore in College Station. For...

Author Martha Wells sits for a photo in the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. (Connor May/The Battalion)

ESSENCE: From imagination to ink

Sameeksha Sharma, Life & Arts Writer November 6, 2023

Doctor, lawyer, teacher and engineer. These were some of the professions that Martha Wells, an acclaimed science fiction and fantasy writer, had heard of in her childhood. Despite being an avid reader,...

Heather Stalter sits for a photo in front of her work station filled with walls of her art at Sacred Sisters Tattoo Parlor. 

ESSENCE: Being human

Sameeksha Sharma, Life & Arts Writer October 24, 2023

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to correct factual errors. Although tattoos have a complicated history, from being symbols of power and status to barbarism, it is hard to dispute their pervasiveness...

Arts criticism writer, Sameeksha Sharma, interviews Anna Keniston, a graduate visualization student, on leveraging prior work experiences to achieve a long awaited ambition.

ESSENCE: Attaining an ambition

Sameeksha Sharma, Life & Arts Writer October 13, 2023

Every job leads to the next. This message often gets lost under the constant echoes of perfectionism but art is a journey of striving. Some of the most prominent artists had to strategically work jobs...

Ring

‘This will be an everlasting love’

Amy Leigh Steward, Life & Arts Writer October 5, 2023

“Ring by spring” is a new take on an old concept. During much of the 1900s, some women attended college to find successful husbands rather than degrees. These marriage-seeking diplomas were called...

Trey Stephens sits in his studio, which was his former guest room. Stephens, who specializes in Aggie art, had paintings of Reveille and Santa in progress for Christmas.

ESSENCE: A lesson in leaps of faith

Sameeksha Sharma, Life & Arts Writer September 26, 2023

Following one’s passion isn’t a linear pursuit and not a journey for the faint-hearted. It demands time, deliberation and an immunity to uncertainty. People often concede without trying because uncertainty...

Arts criticism writer Sameeksha Sharma explores finding the right artform to express yourself with recent alumni Dana Dang.

ESSENCE: What we can’t talk about

Sameeksha Sharma, Life & Arts Writer September 6, 2023

Writing, singing, painting and playing an instrument are all worthy artistic outlets. Each individual has to find out for themselves which artform helps them best express what they wish to narrate. Wouldn’t...

Drawn illustration of fictional character by artist Leo Driggers

ESSENCE: A story that writes itself

Sameeksha Sharma, Life & Arts Writer March 23, 2023

Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D, is one of the most renowned fantasy board games with over 50 million players. It offers a unique arena for adventure and creativity as players participate in epic quests...

Ai art generated through selected inputs by Landon Dahle, depicting an eldritch forest.

ESSENCE: What of the old and the new

Sameeksha Sharma, Life & Arts Writer March 8, 2023

Art is a living, breathing thing. Like most things, art has reinvented itself over the centuries by drawing inspiration from various times and cultures without ever stagnating. In fact, it is this synthesis...

Ben Knox stands in front of his painting.

ESSENCE

Sameeksha Sharma, Life & Arts Writer February 2, 2023

Passion is but a prerequisite for a career in the creative arts, yet is not enough of a force to transform a hobby into a career. So, I set out to learn what it takes to become a professional artist from...

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